All Will be Well
by xfreelifex
Summary: Abby let him hold her in the embrace before pulling back and whispering, “Do you know what I thought right before I felt myself going?” Carter shook his head no. “I knew I loved you.” Carby. Crossover with Law and Order: SVU. COMPLETE
1. Operator

**Disclaimer: ** I own nothing.

**A/N:** This is an SVU/ER crossover. You don't need to know both shows to understand the story. (Imagine this taking part when ER was in season 10.) Ships are to be determined for the SVU characters. Possible OE, if that's what you guys want to see (I don't have very many favorite ships for SVU). The ER ship will be Carby.

**A/N:** This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, so comments (good and bad) are welcome. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Operator

"911, what is your emergency?"

The woman on the other end was sobbing hysterically. If she was speaking through her tears, her words were incoherent. The operator gave her co-workers a look of confusion.

"Ma'am," said the operator. "Ma'am, can you tell me your name?"

The woman swallowed several times, and took a shaky breath. "Maggie Wyczenski."

"Okay, Maggie," said the operator kindly. "Can you tell me where you are?"

Maggie became suddenly infuriated. "Who are you?" she shrieked. "Why do you want to know where I live? How do you know my name?" Her words disappeared in incoherent cries. The operator blushed; her coworkers had started to stare at her. _Stupid first days…_

"Maggie," said the operator calmly. "Maggie, you said I wanted to know where you _live_. Are you at your home?"

Maggie's anger vanished as quickly as it had come. "Why no," she said in a voice that was surprisingly calm. "No, I'm at a motel."

"And what is your emergency?" asked the operator in relief that she had finally gotten through to the question at hand.

Maggie took a rattling breath. "I was raped," she whispered.

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Olivia Benson awoke abruptly to the familiar ring of her cell phone. Groping around blindly in the darkness, she seized it and glanced at the Caller ID. It was Elliot. Olivia looked at the clock on her nightstand; it read 2:37 AM. She groaned inwardly as she flipped open the phone.

"El," she croaked into the phone. "It's too damn early. What do you want?"

"I'm sorry," he said, and he sounded like he meant it. Unlike his partner, he sounded wide awake; tense, almost worried. "We have a vic in a motel room in Queens. She called saying she was raped. We're catching."

"Not that I don't care," said Olivia, "but why does this have to be done at this hour?"

"Look Liv," said Elliot impatiently. "She won't let the officers in – _male_ officers," he said pointedly. "She needs a woman."

"What makes this one so special?" asked Olivia, as she began searching for some jeans.

Elliot frowned. "This one had a weird 911 call. She sounds bipolar." He paused, waiting for his partner to take in the information. "She needs someone to be with her. Please come down."

Olivia sighed. "You owe me big, Stabler."

"How about I buy you coffee for the next week?"

"The next month."

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"Maggie, will you open the door?" called the police officer through the heavy wood.

Maggie shrieked from inside. "No! I won't let you! Leave me alone! Why have you come for me?" She said this all very fast. The officers exchanged glances. "Abby!" came the shrieking again. "Abby! Why have they come for me? Make them go away; make them go away, Abby! Abby, where are you?"

The officer knocked on the door. Maggie fell silent. "Maggie, we've sent for Special Victims. They'll be here shortly to help you."

Maggie appeared to be silent; the officers couldn't hear any more yells. They relaxed, waiting.

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The clock read 3:03 when Olivia turned off her car outside the hotel. The parking lot was empty, save a couple police cars. Elliot was waiting for her at the entrance.

"She still hasn't let any of them in; I just got here. She probably won't let me in anyway. It's all you, Liv."

"I'm honored," said Olivia sarcastically as they began climbing stairs. "What's this I hear about bipolar?"

"The operator said the woman – Maggie Wyczenski is her name – had attitudinal changes while on the phone. Sad, one minute, angry the next." Elliot turned a corner. "This is the floor."

There was a crowd of police officers outside on of the doors. "Special Victims," announced Elliot as he approached. "I'm Detective Stabler, and this is my partner, Detective Benson."

"Benson, eh?" said one of the officers with interest. "Think you could get her to let one of us in?"

Olivia approached the door and rapped loudly. "Maggie, my name is Olivia. I'm a police officer here to help you. Will you let me in?"

There was no response. Olivia glanced back at the officers, perplexed. "That's strange," she heard one of them mutter. "She was screaming awhile ago."

"How long ago was awhile?" asked Elliot.

The young officer shrugged. "I don't know – maybe a couple minutes-"

Olivia frowned and tried the door. The handle was locked. "Maggie!" she called. "Maggie, open up!" She bit her lip in worry. "Are there any other exits from the room?" she asked the officers.

The officers shook their heads. Elliot stepped forward. "Bust the door; something's wrong."

BANG! The door was forced open. Olivia and Elliot rushed in, guns raised. Clothes were strewn on the floor; sheets were tossed against the wall. The room was an utter disaster.

"Touch nothing," said Elliot severely to the officers following him inside. "This is clearly a crime scene." He walked over to the bed. There was no sign of Maggie, but a pill bottle on the nightstand caught his attention. He read the label; it was just Advil, but the bottle was empty.

"Liv, check the bathroom!" yelled Elliot frantically. "Maggie?" he called, as he opened closets. "Are you here?"

Olivia knocked on the bathroom door, where a sound of running water could just be made out. "Maggie?" She tried the handle; it was locked. "Someone get me a coat hanger!" called Olivia worriedly. Elliot tossed her one from the closet as he ran over. She twisted it into the knob. The locked clicked and the door opened.

Olivia stepped uncertainly inside. "Maggie?" she called gently. Splash! Olivia stepped into a puddle of water. Elliot came up from behind her. The shower curtain was drawn. Olivia pulled it back in horror. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight in front of her.

Maggie was lying in the overflowing bathtub. Olivia stared at her in horror. Elliot bent down and took the limp wrist that was dangling from the edge. He gritted his teeth. There was no pulse.


	2. Next of Kin

**A/N:**I own nothing.

**A/N:**Thanks to abby1 for reviewing! Everyone else, please review! Comments are very much appreciated! This chapter mainly focuses on the SVU side, but in next chapter, we will be seeing Abby!

"Liv, it's not your fault," said Elliot firmly, as the medical examiner bent down to examine the body. In the motel room, officers were swarming, gathering evidence and taking the sheets from the floor. Olivia bit her lip.

"I just can't believe this!" she whispered furiously. "I shouldn't have complained, wasted time." She turned away from him. "How did she do it?"

ME Warner looked up. "Overdose on Advil; looks like she took the whole bottle. Didn't take long to work through her system."

"Great," said Olivia. "Just great."

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"We find the next of kin yet?" asked Captain Cragen briskly the next morning.

Olivia looked up from the file she was reading and pulled her legal pad toward her. "Yeah," she said. "Officers said she cried for 'Abby' at one point. She had just stopped right before…" her voice trailed off.

"Anyone else?" asked Cragen.

"We found a listing for an Eric Wyczenski in New York," said Eliot. "We also found Maggie's wallet. She had pictures of some people in it."

"Okay," said Cragen. "Let's get this rape solved, people. Munch, Fin, you begin looking for this 'Abby' and see if you can track her down. Benson, Stabler, go pay a visit to-" he consulted the paper quickly "-Eric Wyczenski and see if you can get any information about Maggie or Abby."

"Aye, aye, Captain," said Munch, giving a fake salute.

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"Eric Wyczenski," said Elliot, knocking on a heavy wood door. "Police, open up, please."

There was a pause, and then the door opened to reveal a young man. His hair was rumpled, and his clothes disheveled. He leaned against the doorframe, surveying the two detectives in front of him.

"Are you Eric?" asked Olivia.

"Who wants to know?" The man had a deep voice.

"Detectives Benson and Stabler, SVU," said Olivia, as she and Elliot displayed their badges.

"Yeah," said the man. "I'm him – and I'm innocent."

"Eric, perhaps it's better is we talk inside," suggested Elliot.

Eric led the two detectives in the house. "What happened?" he asked worriedly.

Elliot cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Eric, but your mother was found dead this morning in a motel room."

Eric just stared at him. Finally he sank down into a chair, still looking shocked. "I didn't even know she was in New York," he said softly.

"Your mother doesn't live here?" asked Olivia.

Eric shook his head. "She lives in Minnesota. How – how did this happen?"

"She committed suicide," said Olivia. "I'm very sorry for your loss.

Eric put his head in his hands. "Why are you here?" he asked, almost angrily. "If it's a suicide, then why are the sex cops involved. Unless…" his voice trailed off. "Oh God – she wasn't – she wasn't raped?"

"I'm sorry," said Elliot softly.

"Do you know anyone who would want to hurt your mother?" asked Olivia.

"No, no," said Eric, shaking his head. "Does my sister know?"

"Who's your sister?" asked Elliot.

"Why do you want to know my life?" yelled Eric. He stood up abruptly and crossed over away from the detectives. "Leave her alone!"

Olivia rose and walked over to him. "Eric, did your mother suffer from any sort of mental disorder?"

"Why do you say that?' shrieked Eric. "My mother was not a loony!"

"I didn't mean to upset you," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know how it can be to lose a parent-"

"You know nothing!" said Eric angrily. He brushed her hand off his shoulder rudely. "You can leave now."

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"Got anything yet?" asked Munch of his partner. They were sitting at their desks; nearly two hours had passed since Cragen had given them the assignment of locating Abby Wyczenski. Personally, Munch was starting to doubt Maggie's word that she had a daughter. They didn't even know if Abby was a daughter. It could have been a sister – or an aunt. They didn't even know if Maggie was sane!

"Nah," said Fin. "You?"

"Would I be asking if I did?" asked Munch in frustration.

Fin smirked and continued clicking. He paused as he found something. "Here-" he said, pointing to his screen. Munch came over for a better look. "That's something. Eight years ago, in Minnesota, an Abby Wyczenski married a Richard Lockhart. Think that's her?"

"They got pictures?" asked Munch curiously. He grabbed Maggie's wallet from his desk. "That's her," said Munch as he handed the photo over.

Fin glanced at the picture, and then back at the screen. "So is that."

It looked like they had just found their Abby 'Wyczenski' Lockhart.

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The familiar smell of the medical examiner's office filled their nostrils as Olivia and Elliot entered it. ME Warner gestured for them to come over. Olivia tried not to look at the severed hand of the cadaver to her left as she passed it.

"It was definitely a suicide," began Warner, as she grabbed the clipboard. "Any luck with the children?"

Elliot nodded. "We located the son, Eric, but no luck on any others as of yet."

"Anything interesting?" asked Olivia.

"Actually, yes," said Warner. "Maggie suffered from a mental disease called bipolar disorder."

"The dual personality one?" asked Elliot.

Warner nodded. "It explains the abstract changes on the phone, and probably the suicide as well. I'm guessing she was off her meds for awhile."

Olivia frowned. "Is this a genetic disorder?"

"Yes," answered Warner. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if Eric or another sibling also has the disease."

"Is it possible the rape was made up, then?" inquired Elliot worriedly.

"Oh no," said Warner sadly. "No, that definitely happened. Extensive bruising to the pelvic region and there was enough semen for a DNA sample, if you can get a match. Judging from the bruising, I'd say someone had a lot of rage against this woman."

Olivia and Elliot nodded gravely. Ring! Olivia fumbled in her pocket for her phone. "Cragen," she said to Elliot as she answered. "Benson…yes, Captain, we're with Warner right now…no, we talked to the brother – Eric…what, WHAT?" Elliot's eyes widened as he looked at his partner. Olivia's brow was furrowed in worry. "Okay, Captain, thanks." She hung up.

"What now?" asked Elliot?

"We have another victim."

Elliot cringed. "Rape victim?"

Olivia shook her head. "Eric Wyczenski is dead."


	3. Target

**A/N: **I own nothing.

**A/N:** Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers for both Like Trees in November and All Will be Well (same story, different title, one under SVU, the other under ER.) They are KaydenceRei, onetreefan, Clarissa, eve1980, LLF, and svu101. You guys rock! Keep reviewing!

The apartment was a sea of blue when Olivia and Elliot arrived. They joined the fray of people and began looking for the body.

"How did he do it?" asked Olivia to the nearest officer.

"Gun shot to the head," he answered gravely.

Olivia frowned. "Where is he?"

The officer jerked his finger behind him. "Bedroom."

Olivia and Elliot walked down the carpeted hall to the bedroom. Voices were coming from the open door of the room. The three people in the room looked up as the detectives entered.

"Detectives Benson and Stabler," said Elliot uncertainly, pulling out his badge as Olivia displayed hers. "Who are you?"

"Detectives Torellson and Fridel," answered the woman closest to them, gesturing to herself, and then her partner. Fridel was talking in low tones to the medical examiner who was bent over the body. "Homicide unit."

Olivia and Elliot did a double take. "Homicide?"

Torellson nodded gravely. "Gunshot would to the head." Olivia and Elliot moved over closer to get a better look. Eric was lying facedown with a pool of blood surrounding his head.

"Kinda hard to shoot yourself in the back of the head, Liv," said Elliot softly.

"You know this guy?" asked the medical examiner from the floor.

Olivia gave a grim smile. "He was the son of our rape victim."

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"So what happened?' asked Cragen sharply as Olivia and Elliot returned.

"GSW to the head," said Elliot. "Homicide."

"_Homi_cide?" clarified Cragen in disbelief. "Where are we on the rape?"

"DNA didn't match anyone in our database," piped up Fin."

Elliot frowned. "Our only known next of kin just died-"

"That's where you're wrong," said Munch triumphantly. "Behold – Abby Wyczenski – or should we say – Abby _Lockhart_?" He produced the picture of Abby on her wedding day, grinning smugly.

"I've seen this picture before," said Olivia excitedly. "Eric had this picture in his room!"

Munch nodded. "Unfortunately, there's no listing for an Abby Lockhart in New York and we have yet to locate her in another state."

"Well keep looking," said Cragen. "Okay, people, we have two dead bodies in two days, both from the same family. One rape victim, the other one not raped. One suicide, one homicide – we need to find this guy's next vic and fast. I'll call Huang down for a profile. In the meantime-" as assistant approached Cragen and handed him a note. Cragen read it quickly, and then cleared his throat. "In the meantime, Benson, Stabler, crime lab wants you. Munch, Fin – find this Abby!"

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The ride to the police plaza was unusually silent. Olivia stared aimlessly out the window, while Elliot kept his eyes on the road. He finally spoke when he parked the car.

"You okay, Liv?" he asked her. Olivia didn't answer. "You know, it's not your fault."

Olivia turned to face him. "And yet, it feels like it is. Maggie killed herself right before we got there."

"Not right before," Elliot corrected her softly. "The uniforms screwed up too, Olivia. You know they should have gone in and done something."

Olivia gave him a small smile. Elliot took that as a sign to continue. "She was sick for a long time. You know that, don't you? She was off her meds for awhile, like Warner said. You didn't kill her – she killed herself." Elliot squeezed her shoulder.

"She didn't rape herself, though," said Olivia quietly. She opened the door to step out of the car.

"No," Elliot agreed, locking the door. "But neither did you – and we're going to get the guy who did." He smiled at her from across the top of the car. "Come on; let's see what all the fuss is about." Elliot led the way inside.

"Benson, Stabler, good to see you," said the CSU tech as they entered.

"You got something for us?" asked Olivia with hopeful interest.

"We found a really interesting 'something,'" he answered, opening a drawer. He pulled out a sheet of paper. "Read this." Elliot reached over and took it from him.

The writing was scrawled onto a sheet of otherwise blank white paper. Elliot cleared his throat and read aloud: "When you see this body, remember this: You'll be next, for you defied my kiss."

"How poetic," said Olivia sarcastically. She and Elliot exchanged worried glances.

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Dr. George Huang was waiting for them when Elliot and Olivia returned. "Detectives," he greeted them, "I think I may have a profile on this guy." Olivia and Elliot walked closer in interest. Huang walked over to the board that was covered in pictures of Maggie's rape and Eric's murder. "This man exhibits a lot of rage towards both of them," he began in his naturally clam voice, "but I doubt either one is his real target." He walked over to the pictures of Maggie. "Take this one," he said, "Maggie was raped. He rapes to exhibit power, and to give himself the satisfaction he was probably denied from his real target."

"Why didn't he kill her?" asked Olivia curiously.

"Ah, now that's where it gets interesting," said Huang. "This man knew the victim well enough to know she was bipolar _and_ that she was off her meds for awhile."

"Stalker?" asked Elliot.

"No, I don't think he needed to," he answered. "He knew her previously, knew he wouldn't need to kill her personally for her to die."

Olivia nodded vaguely, considering this information. "And Eric?"

"I think your guy's favorite part is the rape because it gives him the most power and revenge. But he wouldn't rape Eric because he thinks that's disgusting. His ultimate target must be a woman."

"Why did he kill Eric?" asked Elliot.

"Because he wasn't sure Eric would kill himself," answered Huang. "He still knew Eric, but Eric was less predictable than Maggie."

"But why kill Eric anyway?" asked Olivia.

"To make his target suffer. His target is connected to both Eric and Maggie, probably by blood. Does Maggie have a daughter or sister?"

Olivia and Elliot exchanged glances. "She had a daughter named Abby."

"I'm not sure yet, but Abby is most likely the ultimate target," offered Huang.

"How soon will he get to her?"

"He'll make her hurt first. If Abby has no other blood relatives, he'll be after her next. However, if there are more people he can kill to hurt her, he will."

"She needs to be warned right away," said Olivia.

"We can take care of that," said Munch. He entered, brandishing a piece of paper. "We've found your Abby Lockhart. She's an ER doctor at County General Hospital in Chicago."


	4. Now What

**A/N:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** As promised this chapter is ER with only one SVU interaction. Any SVU fans who don't understand something ER related, please email me with questions and I will answer all of them for you, I promise. Thanks to my wonderful reviewers from the last chapter: svu101, Clarissa, onetreefan, KaydenceRei, Caia, abby1, MusicaGrant, Dance-Dance89, and Anita Coffee. Love you all! Keep up the reading an reviewing!

The monitors were screaming in Trauma Room Two. Doctors were screaming hurried orders at the nurses; the nurses were running around like maniacs from room to room trying to gather supplies at the speed at which they were needed. A young woman was crashing on the table.

"V-fib!" cried one of the doctors. She had brown hair streaked with blond, pulled back from her face in a ponytail. Beside her was a male doctor with short brown hair. He, too, was concentrated intently on the woman; his dark eyes narrowed. "Page Corday!"

As a black nurse went over to the phone to carry out the order, another nurse with curly blond hair came bustling through the door dragging with her the shock paddles. The male doctor snatched them. "Charge to 300!" he ordered. The curly haired nurse pressed the button. "Clear!" Two pairs of hand jumped quickly back from the patient, as the doctor brought down the paddles to the woman's chest. All looked hopefully back at the monitor. No change.

"Charge again!" called the doctor. The door opened behind them and a curly haired surgeon dressed in blue surgical scrubs came in to join the scene. She walked right alongside the doctor with the paddles.

"Is this the GSW?" she asked.

The doctor nodded. "Clear!"

"And she's not stable for transfer, is she, Carter?" Corday asked, watching the woman jolt up from the table and then back down.

The doctor called Carter looked at the monitor in response. No change. "Okay, another round of epi – charge again!"

"Dr. Carter," said Corday sharply. "Might I speak to you outside a moment?"

Carter frowned deeply. "Abby, take over for me." The doctor with the ponytail took the paddles from his hands. Carter followed Corday out into the hallway. He heard Abby shock the patient again on his way out. He figured there was no change.

"Carter," began Corday angrily. "You cannot continue to call me down for a transfer on a patient that's crashing! Tell me how I transfer that!"

Carter scratched his head. "Elizabeth, we need an immediate transfer-"

"And I can't stand here and wait for a patient who isn't ready to go. There are other patients besides this one waiting in the OR!"

Carter was silent, but was spared answering by the arrival of a man at his side. "Excuse me, but could you tell me what's happening to by wife – Sydney Bloomberg."

Corday flashed her eyes at Carter. "Mr. Bloomberg," he said. "Why don't we sit down?" Mr. Bloomberg didn't look convinced, but allowed Carter to lead him over to some chairs. "Your wife has sustained a serious injury to her chest. The bullet went into her lung and she'll need surgery to repair it."

"But she'll be okay, right?" asked Mr. Bloomberg roughly.

Carter sighed. "Her chances are very slim. Her heart isn't working properly – we're trying to restore a rhythm-"

"You mean she's dying?" shrieked the husband. "Where is she? I want to see my wife!" He leapt up from the chair and began running for the trauma room.

"Mr. Bloomberg!" called Carter. "Come back!"

Mr. Bloomberg stormed into the trauma room at exactly the wrong moment. The room was silent, except for the sounds of the pen on paper as the nurse jotted down the time. The doctor with the ponytail was pulling off her gloves, having just laid down the paddles. "You bitch!" he shrieked when he saw her. He dashed over and grabbed her roughly by the arm. "What the hell are you doing? Why did you give up?"

"Sir," she stammered, "Sir, I don't know what you're-"

"You've killed my wife, bitch!" he shouted. "I'll kill you!" He moved his hand toward her throat. Carter rushed in.

"Sam, call security!" he shouted at the nurse. He ran over. "Mr. Bloomberg, let go of her!" He pried Mr. Bloomberg's strong grasp away. Security came over and grabbed him. The doctor backed away slowly towards the wall. She just couldn't stop shaking. Someone seemed to be calling her name from far away. "Dr. Lockhart…Dr. Lockhart….."

Abby's eyes flew open. "Dr. Lockhart," said the receptionist Jerry, who was standing beside her. Abby deduced that it had been he who was shaking her shoulder. "Dr. Lockhart," he said again. "It's 7:00 – time for your shift. Weaver's already chewing out Susan for showing up late-"

"Shit!" said Abby. She slid her legs around to the edge of the couch she had fallen asleep on and shook off her lab coat she had been using as a blanket. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the haunting image of Mr. Bloomberg grabbing her. It had been over three weeks since his wife Sydney had died, but the nightmares still came. "I was just going to lie down," she said quietly to herself.

"Rise and shine," said Jerry sarcastically.

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Twenty minutes later, Abby found herself at the admit desk. A cup of coffee was in her hand; the other was reaching for a chart. "Good morning, Abby," said a voice behind her.

Abby turned around. "Hey Neela," she said. "Have a nice night?"

Neela shrugged. "Ray kept me up for awhile, but other than that it was okay. You?"

Abby snorted. "I spent my night here."

"Excuse me," said a man approaching the desk. "My son is very ill and my wife and I have been waiting here for over two hours. Can someone please see us?"

Neela looked at Abby. "You want it?"

"Sure," said Abby. She turned to the man. "Come right this way, sir." The man gestured toward a woman and a young boy who were sitting in the uncomfortable plastic chairs over by the entrance. They followed her into one of the examination rooms. She gestured for the boy to take a seat on the table. "What's your name?" she asked him kindly.

"Jake," he said proudly. "What's yours?"

Abby smiled. "My name is Dr. Lockhart, but you may call me Abby. Can you tell me what the matter is?"

Jake's mother felt the need to step in here. "It's his stomach. It's been bothering him for quite some time now. He's thrown up quite a few times, but we thought it was just flu at first. Then today he woke up with a sore throat and a temperature of over 102. We felt the need to bring him in and get him checked out."

"Okay," said Abby, making some notes on the chart. "Well, Jake, I'm going to have a nurse come in and check you out and see if we can't make you feel any better, okay?"

Jake nodded. Abby turned and looked out the door. "Sam!" she called at the blond nurse who was passing by. "Sam, can you do a little check up on Jake here?"

"Sure," she said. "Oh, and Abby-" Abby paused on her way out the door. "Weaver's looking for you."

Abby rolled her eyes at the nurse. "Thanks, Sam." _Great_, she thought,_ I get in trouble with Weaver this early in the morning. What a great day!_

Abby walked over to the reception desk. Weaver was waiting for her. Her expression was grim. Abby had worked long enough at the ER to know that when Kerry Weaver was wearing _that_ expression, there was serious trouble. It was therefore with slight trepidation that Abby approached her.

"Abby," said Weaver solemnly. Abby gritted her teeth, preparing herself for the worse. "Abby, there's an urgent message for you in New York."

Abby stared at her blankly for a moment; this was not at all what she expected. "What?"

Weaver handed her a piece of paper with a phone number on it. "You need to call this right away."

Abby frowned at her. She took the sheet, but the number did not seem to be familiar to her at all. "Okay," she said slowly. She grabbed the phone on the desk. To her surprise, Weaver stopped her.

"I think this should be a private call, Abby."

Abby was more confused than ever now. "Take the lounge," Weaver said.

Abby walked slowly to the lounge, still examining the number; it was still nothing she recognized. She picked up the receiver and dialed. The phone rang twice, and then a woman picked up.

"Benson."

Abby frowned, and then regained her composure. "Yes, hello, I'm Abby Lockhart. My boss told me to call this number-"

"Oh," said the woman on the line. "Abby, my name is Detective Benson. I work at the Special Victims Unit in New York City."

Now Abby was more confused than ever. Who did she know in New York?

Benson was still talked. "I'm very sorry. Your mother and brother were both found dead recently."

All the air seemed to vanish from Abby's lungs. She sank down, horrified. The thought of her only family dead was almost inconceivable. And yet-

"Abby?" The detective's voice sounded alarmed.

"How?" Abby managed to croak out.

The woman sighed slightly. "Your brother was found dead this morning. He was murdered."

Abby's throat clenched. Tears welled in her eyes. "And my mother?' she whispered.

There was a pause. "She was found dead the night before last. " Benson hesitated again. "That death was determined a suicide."

The tears spilled down Abby's face. She sniffed and wiped them with the sleeve of her white lab coat. "Special Victims," she said quietly to herself. "That means…"

Benson was still talking. "Abby, I'm so sorry. I know this is a lot for you right now, but there's one more thing we have to tell you."

_Now what?_ Abby wondered. _Who else could have died?_

Benson hesitated again. "This man who killed your brother – and raped your mother – we – er – we have reason to believe he may be after you next."

_Great,_ thought Abby, _just great. _"What should I do?"

The detective cleared her throat. "Right now, my partner and I need you to come to New York as soon as possible to collect the bodies. We also have a few questions to ask you concerning you the murderer could be."

Abby nodded vaguely, and then remembered the detective couldn't see her. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you," said Benson. "I'm so sorry, Abby."

"Thank you," she whispered. Abby hung up, moving without conviction, still in shock. She sank back down on the couch again, staring into the space in front of her.

The door opened and Dr. Carter entered. He frowned at her, and then walked over and sat down next to her. "Abby?"

Abby didn't appear to have noticed him; she continued staring into space, barely aware of the man next to her.

"Abby," Carter tried again. "What's wrong?" His voice was full of concern.

Abby shook her head; she couldn't find the words, but then Carter seemed to have found them for her. "Is it Maggie?"

At the mention of her mother's name, Abby seemed to come out of her trance. She turned to face him for the first time. She took one look at his worried brown eyes and her face crumpled. Sobs wracked her small body. Carter pulled her into a hug she took his shoulder to cry on. He put his lips gently to her hair and kissed her head. "It's okay, Abby," he whispered, as her sobs filled the room. "It's okay to cry."

**A/N:** Okay, I don't know when the next chapter will be up. I'm extrememly busy at the moment and I was frankly surprised I managed to update today at all. If you want an estimate for next chapter...let's say Sunday at the absolute, absolute earliest. Until then...ENJOY!


	5. Dear Abby

**A/N:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** Sorry it's taken me so long to update! Thanks for all your reviews, specifically Caia, onetreefan, neela149, svu101, KaydenceRei (Lay LOL), CarbyLivesOn, and Cop Chick. Also, this is the last chapter of the shows in separation. You'll see why...Enjoy! (And review:))

Olivia felt the words catch in her throat. She held the telephone closer to her ear and swallowed, trying to keep her voice steady. Listening to a person fall apart on the other end of the line was never helpful. "This man who killed your brother – and raped your mother – we – er – we have reason to believe he may be after you next."

There was a pause on the other end. "What should I do now?"

Olivia cleared her throat. "Right now, my partner and I need you to come to New York as soon as possible to collect the bodies. We also have a few questions to ask you concerning you the murderer could be."

Another pause, this time longer. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you," said Olivia. "I'm so sorry, Abby."

"Thank you," she whispered. Olivia hung up the phone slowly. Calls to the victims' families were always the hardest to make – especially when there were two victims. Elliot looked up at the sound of the receiver being replaced.

"How did it go?"

Olivia sighed. "As well as could be expected, I suppose."

Cragen's office door opened and he stuck his head out. "You two," he said sharply to Olivia and Elliot. "Crime lab wants you now!"

Olivia and Elliot exchanged glances before grabbing their coats and going out the door.

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"Thanks for coming down so quickly," said the technician when he saw them enter. "This is something you guys have to see." There seemed to be an edge of panic in his voice.

"What's wrong?" asked Olivia hesitantly.

"This," said the technician. He picked up a piece of paper. "Your medical examiner sent this over, She said it was clutched in Maggie's hand in the tub. We only just figured out what it said."

Elliot took the note from him. The ink had run all over and it was almost entirely illegible. Elliot thought it was a miracle the technician figured anything out from it at all.

"What does it say?"

The technician picked up a sheet of lined paper, upon which he had scrawled out what had been said on the original note. He cleared his throat. "Dear Abby," he began. "By the time you get this, your brother will be dead, and if you are reading this it means Maggie is dead as well. Let me make one thing perfectly clear, Abigail: you are on thin ice. Involve the cops and you'll be next. I'm watching you." The technician finished reading and looked up at the two detectives.

Olivia and Elliot were staring at each other with a mix of shock and horror on their faces.

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"This isn't good," said Cragen half an hour later. He was pacing around his office; Olivia and Elliot were sitting rigidly in their seats waiting for him to continue. "And we've already informed Abby of the deaths?"

"Yes," said Olivia. "I also told her to come here for some questions."

There was a pause. Then Huang, who had been silently listening for awhile broke in. "He'd still go after Abby even if you hadn't become involved. He's just threatening her to keep the cops out of it, which would make his job all easier."

"So is his threat to go after her since we're involved credible?"

Huang nodded. "He would've still gone after Abby; telling you this would justify a harmful action against her. He feels like he's warned her with this note; now anything he does – even kill her – is justified."

The detectives considered this. "So what do we do now?" asked Cragen. "Can we still protect her?"

"You have to," said Huang. "You have to talk to her because she knows this man from somewhere. Abby's in danger no matter what." He paused, considering. "However, your presence as cops could just make everything worse. You have to protect her without this guy actually knowing you're there."

"In other words," said Olivia, "we have to protect her, but we can't do it as Benson and Stabler."

Huang nodded. "I think we can arrange that."

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Olivia opened the file slowly. Her eyes bulged when she saw it. "You want me to be _who_ living _where_?"

Cragen gave her a stern look. "Jennifer Hooper, and you live in Chicago."

Elliot now felt the trepidation as he opened his own file. He winced. "And I'm a _janitor?_"

Cragen cleared his throat. "This was the easiest way for us to get you two in Chicago without going as yourselves. And what better place to work than the County General Hospital with Abby."

"But a _janitor?"_

Cragen was adamant. "Elliot, you and Liv need to work in a hospital – in jobs that require no medical background. These are the choices: secretary or janitor." Elliot smirked at the thought of Olivia being a secretary.

Cragen was still talking. "You two are two normal people living in Chicago. Olivia," he said turning to her, "you had a sister named Cynthia, but she died awhile back. She used to work in the E.R. – also as a secretary – seven years ago. She was the girlfriend of one Dr. Greene. Make sure you know all the doctors and nurses included in this folder because Cynthia talked about work frequently." Olivia nodded blankly, still in disbelief she was a secretary. "And Elliot," he said, addressing the other detective, "you are Michael Stevens. Janitor, still a bachelor, but," Cragen took a slight pause here, "dating Jennifer Hooper."

Elliot stole a flirtatious glance at Olivia.

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Olivia sat on the plush couch examining the file. It was stuffed full of information. How she would remember it all, she still couldn't figure out. Doctors, nurses, surgeons…the names and faces swirled as she rubbed her tired eyes. Cragen's orders had been to go home, read and memorize, and get a good night's sleep; she and Elliot were leaving for Chicago around ten the next morning. As it was now approaching midnight, Olivia wasn't sure she would be carrying out the last part of the order. Sleep appeared out of the question. She vaguely wondered if Elliot was having anymore luck than her.

_Elliot!_ The thought of him dating her was odd, but oddly exciting. Olivia had never considered him as a boyfriend, but now that it was a possibility, she found herself thinking of all his assets. She was just on the part about his baby blue eyes when a knock on the door startled her from her drowsy thoughts.

Olivia frowned. _Who would be at my door after midnight?_ She hesitated, and then went to the door. She looked through the hole. It was Elliot. She opened the door slowly.

"Elliot," she said. "It's after midnight; what are you doing here?"

Elliot shrugged. "I'm having trouble with my role. Will you help me?"

Olivia gave a weak chuckle. "I'm having enough trouble with mine."

Elliot considered. "Well, let's help each other."

Olivia paused, and then let him enter. "Want some coffee?"

"Sure," said Elliot, as he settled down onto the couch. Olivia went into the kitchen to make some. He pulled her file closer to him. His eye caught a dark haired woman with curly hair. He paged through. There were many more pages of people to go through. He sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Olivia entered again from the kitchen with two mugs of coffee. "Let's start." She sat down next to him and handed him a mug. "I got the character down all right, but I can't remember all the doctors and nurses."

Elliot flipped back to the page with the curly-haired woman. "I'll help you. I'll take half, you take half, and then we can tell each other about the people who work at this hell hole County General."

The clock ticked closer to one when Olivia finally laid down her half of pages. She yawned and looked over at Elliot who was just finishing. "Ready?" she asked. He nodded. She picked up the first sheet. A young brown haired doctor. "This is Dr. Carter. Rich, but tries not to show it," Olivia rolled her eyes. This seemed more like a book report than anything. The thought was sickening. She continued, "When Cynthia knew him, he was a young resident, but now he's risen in rank…"

The minutes ticked by. Olivia finished with Carter, and Elliot pulled the next file. Olivia tried her best to concentrate on the faces as her mind slipped in and out of focus.

_Elizabeth Corday, the British surgeon…_

_Kerry Weaver, the gay chief of Emergency Medicine…_

_Haleh, the black nurse…_

_Stay awake, Olivia,_ she told herself firmly. She felt Elliot's warm arm on her shoulder.

_Mark Greene, Cynthia's boyfriend…_Olivia tried to focus her attention on him. _Died of cancer three years ago…survived by daughter Rachel and Ella…Ella was from his second marriage to Elizabeth…_

"Stay awake, Liv," murmured Elliot, glancing at the clock. 2:07.

"How can I?" she muttered still not opening her eyes. "Their lives play like a bad soap-opera."

Elliot chuckled. "Still not as bad as me being a janitor."

Olivia murmured something incoherent. Elliot glanced over at her; she was clearly exhausted.

"Night El'," she mumbled sleepily.

Elliot decided not to keep her awake. Feeling exhaustion over take him, he closed his eyes and leaned against the arm of the sofa. _Just go to sleep_ he told himself _we have a long drive tomorrow…_

"Night Liv."

**A/N:** Hats off to anyone who can guess which ER character Elliot sees a picture of! As for updating...let's try not to make you wait so long, shall we? I have the next chapter planned out, but it's going to be a longer one so bear with me in the waiting period. :D


	6. Grief

**A/N:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** Wow! 16 review for last chapter! Thank you Mrs. Detective Billy Martin, jcn2416, svu101, kaity, onetreefan, Alicat Sanders, CarbyLivesOn, KaydenceRei, Anita Coffee, aBbY oLiViA eR sVu, Dance-Dance89, Caia, MeganT, hunt, and Cop Chick for your wonderful comments. Congrats to jcn2416, Alicat Sanders, and aBbY oLiViA eR sVu for correctly guessing Nurse Carol Hathaway as the woman Elliot sees in the picture. So...this next chapter is really long - about 1000 words longer than my other ones. The chapters now will tend to be longer (though I'm not sure about THIS long again) as we come to the climax of the story and start getting some answers about our killer. So now I'll stop babbling and let you get on with the story. Enjoy and review!

Abby jolted awake, breathing hard. She blinked confusedly around looking for the source of her abrupt return to consciousness. Her tired mind finally registered the shrill cry of the telephone ringing. Her eye caught the clock as she reached for the phone. _Wow, _she thought sarcastically,_ I managed to sleep for a whole two hours._

"Hello?" The words hung naked in the air.

A man was on the other end of the line. "Hello, this is Captain Cragen of the Manhattan SVU. To whom am I speaking?"

"Abby Lockhart," said Abby, now fully awake. _What now?_

"I'm sorry if I woke you," said the captain, "but it's urgent I speak with you."

"I'm coming to New York," said Abby shortly. The words came out sharper than she had intended. She wasn't feeling too fond of New York's finest right now. It had been bad enough receiving the call the first time, and now they were calling to make sure she was coming to the city? "I leave this evening after my shift; can't this wait 'til then?"

"I'm afraid it can't," said Cragen, "and I'm afraid your money was wasted on the plane ticket. New York is coming to you?"

Abby frowned. "Why?"

Cragen cleared his throat. "I can't really discuss that now. They will be arriving shortly."

Abby's frown deepened. "How will I know who they are?"

There was a pause. "You have openings for secretaries and janitors, don't you?"

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The radio was playing in the sedan Elliot was driving. The interstate the two detectives were on was starting to slow down as they came closer to Chicago. As they slowed into the stop and go traffic, Olivia turned away from the window to look at her partner. "Remind me again why we didn't fly?" she remarked sarcastically.

"We needed a car," said Elliot. "And they weren't too big on the rentals."

Olivia huffed. "Well this sucks."

"Look on the bright side, Liv," said Elliot. "You have plenty of time to look at those files again? Are you all ready to be Jennifer Hooper?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Sitting on my ass all day was never exactly my dream job."

Elliot snorted. "Don't forget all the phone calls you have to answer, all the paperwork you have to deal with, and the doctors you have to page."

"You make it sound almost interesting."

Elliot smirked. "I try."

"Well, Mr. Stevens," said Olivia playfully. "Are you all ready for your big interview?"

The smallest of frowns crossed Elliot's face. "Interview?"

"Yeah," said Olivia seriously. "They have to make sure you have experience, you know, mopping up floors. I mean, there are so many areas to pursue – mopping up blood, mopping up vomit, mopping up -"

Elliot threw a playful punch at her to stop the flow as they passed another road sign.

WELCOME TO CHICAGO.

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"Morning Abby," said Dr. Lewis from behind her as she entered the doctor's lounge. "How are -" Abby turned around and the blond doctor's eyes widened. "You look like hell," she observed, answering her own question.

"Thanks Susan," said Abby shortly. "You would too if you got as much sleep as I did."

Susan gave her a sympathetic look. "You should go home, Abby. You've got to go to New York later today."

Abby slammed her locker door shut. "Actually, I don't."

Susan's brow furrowed. "You don't?"

"Apparently New York is coming to me."

Susan opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the door to the doctor's lounge opened and Jerry came in. "Abby, Dr. Weaver is looking for you. Something about the new desk clerk…?"

"Oh, right," said Abby as she swung her stethoscope around her neck. "Carter and I still haven't found one. We're trying again today.

"Well, she's here and waiting with Carter right now," said Jerry. "She seems kind of smart to be a desk clerk, though."

"Maybe she came to the wrong place," snickered Susan from behind Abby.

"Ha ha," said Abby sarcastically as she followed Jerry out of the lounge.

She entered the room that Carter was already sitting in. Across the table from her was a fairly young woman with reddish brown hair down to her shoulders. She was waiting calmly, with her hands crossed on the table. In the corner stood a tall man with blue eyes. Carter looked up as Abby closed the door.

"Wow," he muttered to her as she sat down. "You sure look like-"

"Don't say it," said Abby through clenched teeth.

Carter cleared his throat and opened the manila envelope in front of him. "Well, Miss Hooper, shall we begin?" The woman across the table nodded. "I'm Dr. Carter, and this is Dr. Lockhart."

"Pleased to meet you," she chirped cheerfully.

"Could we have your résumé, please?" asked Abby.

"Certainly," said the woman. She pulled up a purse from the floor. "It's in here," she mumbled frantically. "I know it! I – here it is." She extracted a piece of paper and handed it over.

"It's Jennifer, is it?" asked Abby, who had ignored the woman's search for the paper.

Carter frowned at her picture. "Why don't you tell us about yourself?" _She looks familiar…_

"Well," Jennifer began, "I've lived in Chicago my whole life. My birthday is January 23, and I absolutely love dogs. Especially the big ones with the really fluffy fur."

Abby cringed. "How about your experience in the areas of medicine or running a desk – _those _types of things."

Jennifer paused for a moment. "Well, I worked as a 911 operator once…" Carter nodded encouragingly. "But they didn't like me much so I became a secretary at an orthodontics clinic for awhile, and then I went to a pediatrics clinic. I'm at the clinic right now – but it's closing."

"Well, you seem to have a lot of background in being a secretary," said Carter stiffly, "but being a desk clerk is a bit different. It's a lot busier and more frantic; do you think you could handle it?"

Jennifer nodded. "Oh yes, my sister was always talking about how busy it was here."

Carter's eyes widened. "Who was your sister?"

"Oh – you may not remember her," said Jennifer. "You look too young. Cynthia worked here about seven years ago."

_I knew she looked familiar!_ "I actually _did_ work here seven years ago, Miss Hooper," said Carter.

"Oh, you must be Dr. Carter, aren't you?" said Jennifer excitedly in a tone that suggested Carter was a famous celebrity. "Yes, Cynthia talked about you some. 'Such a cutie!' she used to say. I thought for sure she'd be dating you if she wasn't seeing Dr. Greene." Jennifer beamed at Carter and Abby, who were staring back at her indifferently. Abby, who had blushed slightly when Jennifer had mentioned Carter was a 'cutie' now tensed at the mention of Dr. Greene. She looked over at Carter, who also looked like he suddenly had lock jaw.

Jennifer noticed nothing, but seemed to think she had said enough. She now watched as Carter leaned to Abby and whispered something in her ear. Abby nodded slightly.

"Well, Jennifer," said Carter at last. "We certainly need more desk clerks, so if you want the job, it's yours."

"Oh thank you!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Thank you!" She turned and beamed at the man in the corner. "Oh Michael, dear," she said, rising and crossing over to him. "We must invite the two lovely doctors to have dinner with us tonight." She took him by the hand and led him over to the table. "This is my boyfriend, Michael," she introduced to Carter and Abby. Abby frowned slightly. _Boy does _that_ smile look fake._ The poor man had a cheesy grin plastered on his face.

"Oh yes; please join us," he said happily. Abby cringed. _Maybe it wasn't fake._

Carter looked at Abby, who shot him a warning look.

"We accept."

Abby's frown deepened. _Obviously he wasn't paying attention._

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"Carter!"

Carter wheeled around. Abby was standing behind him, her hands on her hips, and a furious look on her face.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" she said severely to him as she advanced on him.

"I was thinking one of us should answer the question," said Carter, with a twinkle in his eye.

Abby rolled here eyes. Her anger was mounting. "How can we do this?"

"Do what?" asked Carter mildly.

"I am NOT going on a date with you!"

"Abby!" Abby shifted her gaze to see behind Carter. The blond nurse Sam was running up behind him. "Luka needs you. We got a suicide vic rolling in."

"On it," replied Abby, as she followed Sam down the hall. "This isn't over, Carter!" she called angrily over her shoulder. Carter just smirked. Abby and Sam met the patient rolling in as they passed the desk.

"What'd'ya got?" asked Abby, taking a good look at the patient. Blood covered the woman's chest.

"We're still trying to find a name, but she tried to kill herself with this gun," said one of the attendants, showing the weapon to her. "Pedestrian saw her do it in the park and called 911."

"Take her into trauma one!" ordered Luka. The woman was wheeled in, as one of the attendants pulled Luka aside looking aghast.

"On my count," said Abby, "one, two three." The woman was transported to the table in one swift motion and doctors and nurses began checking her pulse and pupils immediately.

"Weak pulse," noted Sam, "damn it! She's not breathing."

Abby hurried over, ready to intubate. She frowned at the chords. "Okay, almost there…got it. Bag her!" Sam moved over. Neither noticed the attendants conversing with Luka outside the room.

The heart monitor began screaming. "V-fib!" called Sam.

"Damn it!" muttered Abby. She grabbed the paddles and shocked the woman. There was so much blood; it seemed it would never stop. No change. "Damn it, don't give up! Come on, damn it!" Abby hadn't realized her voice had been increasing to the point of yelling. "COME ON!"

"Abby," said Luka softly behind her. Abby hadn't heard him come in, but she ignored him. "Charge again!" She pressed the paddles down. The woman jumped, but the monitor continued to shriek.

"Abby, stop!" said Luka sharply. He grabbed the paddles out of her hands and made to turn off the machine.

"Luka, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Abby shrieked frantically. She yanked the paddles back, but he grabbed her wrists. Abby was so angry she could barely think straight. "What the hell are you doing?" she spat out. Even through her anger, she felt her eyes welling with tears. The woman was probably already dead.

Luka switched off the machine. The room fell silent. "She's a DNR, Abby," he said softly. He handed a note to her. "The attendant found this on the gurney. It must have fallen out of her hand."

Abby felt herself go numb. The woman was a DNR. There really was nothing she could do; the anonymous woman really wanted to die. She let the paddles drop limply from her hands and felt the tears slipping from her eyes. She didn't take the note from him, but took the woman's chart and walked slowly away.

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It was the crying that had caught her attention. Olivia Benson left her new post at the desk when she heard the sobs coming from one of the exam rooms. She paused, listening for the one with the crying. She peered through the blinds of exam room two, and then entered,

Abby Lockhart was sitting on one of the beds hugging her knees to her chest. Her eyes were red and her face pale. A crumpled ball of yellow paper lay near her feet.

"Are you all right?" asked Olivia in her higher, breathy Jennifer voice. "I heard crying and I came to see what happened." She paused, and then sat down next to the doctor. "It's Dr. Lockhart, isn't it?"

"Abby is fine," she said quietly in response.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" asked Olivia. _God, I hate this voice!_

Abby tried to make a small smile through her tears. "Nothing. It's just a patient I…" her voice trailed off and her gaze dropped to the yellow paper ball.

"May I see?" asked Olivia. Without waiting for a reply, she picked it up and smoothed it out. "Ah," she said when she saw it, "a suicide victim." Olivia instantly knew what Abby was killing herself over. "My mother committed suicide, you know," she said conversationally, thinking fast.

Abby looked at her. "So did mine," she whispered.

Olivia bit her lip. The detective in her was fighting to emerge. Helping the victim always found a place in her. _Poor Abby doesn't even know how much I know. Hell, she doesn't even know who I am._ "I'm so sorry, Abby," she said, trying to control her instincts. "When did it happen?"

Abby was silent. She hugged her knees closer to her chest as if to protect herself from the pain. "A few days ago," she answered quietly.

Olivia sighed. "It's so hard in the beginning, isn't it?" She rubbed Abby's arm in a comforting way. Olivia had met so many victims – victims of rape, victims of abuse, victims of loss…in more ways than one Abby was like a five-year-old who had just lost her mother. _Her family,_ Olivia corrected herself. _She lost her brother, too._

"Yeah, it is," said Abby. "How did you deal with it?"

Olivia paused, not sure what to say. "Well, I was just out of college when it happened. Cynthia helped a lot…by just being there. Sometimes you just need someone to cry with; someone's shoulder to cry on."

Abby seemed to grow sadder. "My brother was killed recently as well."

Olivia gasped in a Jennifer-like way, but mentally she kicked herself for mentioning her 'sister.' "I'm sorry," she whispered again.

Abby looked up, trying to keep more tears from falling. "I just feel so alone," she choked out. "I don't know who to turn to."

Olivia paused, thinking about what to say. "What about Dr. Carter? He seems to have something for you, dear, you know."

Abby furrowed her brow. "What makes you say that?"

Olivia smiled at her. "He seemed ever so pleased to accept the dinner invitation for tonight. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you."

Abby thought about this. All of a sudden, she felt slightly guilty about her outburst at Carter earlier. He was her shoulder to cry on; he had been her source of comfort after she hung up the dreadful phone call the other day. He really was someone she could count on to be there.

"Thanks Jennifer," Abby said at last. "I feel so much better."

Olivia smiled. "You're welcome, dear."

Abby stood up and readjusted her stethoscope around her neck. "I'd better get back to work."

Olivia nodded. "Oh, and Abby?" Abby, who had opened the door, looked back. "Cynthia was right. Carter really is a cutie."

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"Long day?" asked Elliot. He and Olivia were waiting in the restaurant for Carter and Abby to show up.

Olivia shrugged. "I guess."

Elliot winked. "Never thought being a secretary could be so hard."

"I'm a desk clerk, actually," said Olivia in a mock reproachful voice. "And I wasn't talking about the paperwork."

Elliot seemed to know what she was talking about. "How is Abby doing?"

"She's taking it hard," said Olivia sadly. "There was a suicide patient that came in today. She shot herself in the chest, after leaving a suicide note saying she didn't want to be revived."

Elliot winced. "And it reminded her of Maggie?"

Olivia nodded. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the couple walking towards them. "Dr. Carter, Dr. Lockhart!" she called out, waving her hands enthusiastically. Elliot was surprised at how Olivia's voice could jump an octave from detective to desk clerk.

Abby and Carter walked over to them, and sat down facing them. "Glad you made it," said Elliot in his overly happy Michael Stevens voice. "What do you recommend here?"

No one noticed the strange man brushing past the window of the restaurant where the two detectives and two doctors were sitting.

**A/N:** Not entirely sure when I'll be updating again. I'm on spring break now, so I have lots of time, so it should be soon :D


	7. Lean on Me

**A/N:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** Well, this chapter is even longer than last time, so be happy about that, since I'm updating later than I intended to. :)Thank you to my wonderful reviewers, KaydenceRei (Klay lol), jcn2416, onetreefan, melissa, Neela149, chelsea, enamel-mammel, aBbY oLiViA eR sVu, CarbyLivesOn, and alexceasar, who make me smile. Keep reviewing!

**A/N:** In light of Fault, the most recent SVU episode (ER readers, you can ignore this :)), I am going to add that nothing in this story is going to change. In fact, for the purposes of this story, it never happened. Also, I've recieved some reviews concerning my portrayal of the bipolar character Maggie in the first two chapters of this story. Let me just say that, yes, I could have done some research, but I'm not flying blind and simplybasing Maggie off of stereotypes. I wrote Maggie as I see her being portrayed on ER, nothing more. :)

The gentle knocking at the door broke the monotony of filling his coffee cup. Frowning, Carter set down the pot and walked to the door. He peered through the window, and then opened it in surprise.

"Abby?"

Abby, who had started to walk back down the steps, turned around. She had a sheepish look on her face. "Um…hi Carter."

"Come in," said Carter enthusiastically, gesturing inside.

"Oh – no," said Abby. "I didn't mean to bother you this early -"

"Abby," said Carter. "It's no trouble. Come on inside." Abby considered, and then followed him inside.

The Carter mansion looked the same to the one Abby remembered; the one she has tried to forget after Carter had left for Africa. Now she found it oddly comforting to be back inside of it. The grand staircase remained as forbidding as ever; the highly polished wood looked not a day older.

"Coffee?" asked Carter, as he led her through the spacious hallway to the kitchen.

"Sure," said Abby automatically. Carter poured her a mug and gestured for her to sit down. Abby sank into one of the highly polished chairs at the kitchen table.

"So," said Carter, taking a sip from his mug. "What did you want to talk about?"

Abby chuckled. "How did you know?"

It was Carter's turn to chuckle. "I know you Abby," he said lightly. Abby felt her grin slide a little. Carter noticed, and his tone turned more serious. "You want to get things straight before we go back to work today."

"Well," said Abby slowly, "yes. I mean, yesterday was fun, but…"

"But what?" asked Carter.

"We can't just wave some magic wand and things will change between us."

Carter looked at her. "Abby, I…"

Abby looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Carter."

Carter's brow furrowed. "You're sorry because we can't -"

"No," said Abby quickly. "I'm sorry for yelling at you in the ER yesterday."

"Oh – that," said Carter slowly. Now he was really confused. "No problem." He frowned, perplexed. "Abby, what is this really about?"

Abby bit her lip. "I'm just so worked up about Maggie and Eric and I just really don't know what to do and I -" Abby felt the tears coming again. "I can't do this alone, Carter."

Carter crossed over to her. "You don't have to."

Abby felt his strong arms around her, encouraging her to continue. "I feel so alone."

"Then let me in." Abby looked at him. "Let me help you, Abby."

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"Morning, Liv," said Elliot brightly. He pulled back the curtains of the apartment they were staying at. The Chicago sunlight streamed through the window. Olivia moaned and shielded her eyes from the light. She rolled over and checked the clock. 6:38 A.M.

"Elliot," she grumbled. "I don't start 'til 9:00."

Elliot chuckled. "Good, it gives us more time to discuss the suspects." He tossed a bag of bagels at her. "You can pick first."

Olivia rolled her eyes. Typical Elliot to get up and find the bagels. She selected a blueberry one and tossed the bag back to him. "Thanks." She pulled herself out of bed.

Half an hour later, the two detectives were seated at the kitchen table finishing off the last of the bagels and waking up over strong coffee. Olivia finished chewing, and then pulled a pad of paper toward her. "Okay, what do you think?"

Elliot considered. "Any chance it's one of the doctors?"

Olivia frowned. "Like which one?" She shuffled through some papers and found the file containing the profiles of the doctors. "Greene is dead," she said as she looked the first one. "This one moved to Seattle…Carter's still here," she said, but she sounded unconvinced.

Elliot frowned. "It could be Carter."

"How do you figure that?"

"He seems to know Abby pretty well; they conducted the interview together, had dinner together…"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I doubt it. What motive could he have against her? This perp has serious issues with Abby's family. He must have known them pretty well, too."

"Did they ever date?" asked Elliot.

"Elliot, please," said Olivia angrily. "Carter acts like a puppy dog around Abby. He would never hurt her like that."

Elliot raised his eyebrows. "He likes her, she doesn't like him back?"

"And he met her family…?"

"Okay," said Elliot. "What if they used to date and then she broke it off with him? He could have met her family, and now he's trying to get revenge?"

Olivia sighed heavily. Elliot's idea still sounded farfetched, although admittedly most of the pieces did fit. "They seem too friendly to have just broken it off. Even if they did date, it may have been awhile ago and why would Carter wait until now to get revenge?"

Elliot considered this. "He's still a possibility, Olivia."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Fine, we'll check and see if he was in New York recently." Elliot smirked. "But you'll find nothing, I'm sure!"

"Who else do you want to look at?" asked Elliot politely. He took the file from her. "An ex-boyfriend is a good angle…I'm sure Carter can't be the only possibility." He began to page through, frowning. Olivia snatched the file back from him.

"Look, any male who works at the ER could be an ex-boyfriend. Why don't we just ask her?"

Elliot smirked. "Yeah, that'd be an interesting conversation. So, Abby, tell me about your ex-boyfriends." He gave a snort of laughter. "I mean, what kind of nosy, random question is that? Who-"

For Olivia was looking at him with her eyebrows raised. She watched his face as he caught on.

"Jennifer Hooper would."

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The doctors' lounge was empty when Abby entered it and began depositing her things into her locked. After her visit with Carter, she had come straight to the ER, despite his requests that she stay longer. She had left him earlier than she needed to, given the time her shift started, but she had needed the time to clear her mind. As she put the things in her locker, she realized how much the ER was her home away from home – literally. Abby was starting to think that between the extra clothes, toothpaste, medical books, and staling goldfish, she had enough supplies to last at least a week. She was just donning her white medical coat when Frank, another desk clerk, poked his head in.

"Oh, Abby, you're here," he said in his gruff voice. "There's someone for you on line two."

"Who is it?" she asked, with her back turned to him.

"Don't know. Said it was important, though. Sounded male…could be your brother, Eric."

Abby slammed her lock door shut. "No, it couldn't." She walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver as Frank slunk from the room. She pressed the button for line two. "This is Abby Lockhart," she said pleasantly.

There was heavy breathing on the end of the line. "Abby," a male voice said. It sounded deep and unfamiliar. "You're not playing by the rules, Abby."

Abby felt her breath catch in her throat and her heart rate shoot up. _It's him! _"What do you mean?" she asked him. Her voice ran high pitched out of nerves. _A murderer is on the other end of this line!_

"I saw you last night." He paused, as though waiting for her to respond, but when she didn't, he continued. "I'm watching you. You can't escape my wrath." There was a pause, and then the line went dead.

Abby was so stunned that at first she didn't recognize the dial tone that had reappeared in her ear. Shaking, she replaced the receiver. _So this is the guy. The killer has found me._ She froze, uncertain of what so to.

_What did he mean I wasn't playing by the rules?_ Abby wondered. _What rules?_

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Captain Cragen was walking past her desk to his office when the phone rang. Frowning, he looked around for Munch or Fin, but then remembered they had just left for TARU. On the third ring, he answered the phone on Olivia's desk.

"Special Victims, this is Captain Cragen."

A woman was on the other end of the line. "Yes, hi, this is Abby Lockhart from Chicago."

_Abby!_ Cragen frowned. _Why is she calling?_ "Dr. Lockhart," he said briskly. "Is something wrong?"

"Um, yes," said Abby quickly. He could tell her voice sounded panicked. "I just received a threat."

Cragen was now all ears. He sat down stiffly in Olivia's chair and pulled a pad and pen towards him. "What happened?"

There was a pause, in which he could tell she was trying to regain her composure. "I had a call on line two. I took it and there was a deep male voice on the other end. He told me I wasn't 'playing by the rules.'"

Cragen was writing furiously now. "And what did you say?"

"I-I asked him what he meant."

"And how did he respond?"

There was another pause. "He said that he saw me last night. It sounds like he's stalking me, or something." Abby seemed to become angry. "Is there something _else_ I should know?"

Cragen rubbed his eyes. "Where were you last night?"

"Having dinner," Abby answered shortly.

Cragen began taking more notes. "May I ask with whom?"

"A colleague, the desk clerk, and her boyfriend."

A jolt of realization hit Cragen like a lightning bolt. "Could I have their names, please?"

"Dr. Carter, Jennifer Hooper, and her boyfriend's name is Michael…something." There was a pause. "I suppose the names are relevant?"

Cragen could tell Abby was getting frustrated, but the information would be crucial for Huang later.

"Dr. Lockhart," he said calmly. "Did he make any direct threat to you?"

"What do you mean 'direct threat'?"

"Did he mention any revealing details? Like a time or place or anything?"

There was a long pause. "Um, no," she answered. "Should he have?"

Cragen chose not to answer the last part. "Okay, Dr. Lockhart, I will be in touch with you again shortly. For the time being, it may be best if you go home-"

"No," said Abby quickly. "No, I couldn't. I just want to do my job."

Cragen felt the sides of his mouth curl into a grim smile. _What was it with people and their jobs?_ "Well, then I'll reach you again at the hospital." He hung up, waited for the dial tone to reappear, and then dialed the number for Dr. Huang.

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"This guy has some serious issues with Abby Lockhart," said Huang, as he examined Cragen's notes.

"Thank you, Master of the Obvious," said Munch sarcastically, "but how 'bout telling us something we don't know."

Cragen threw Munch a look, but was secretly feeling the same way. Huang continued with his thoughts. "Unless the perp knows Elliot and Olivia are there, how could he tell Abby she's not 'playing by the rules'?"

Cragen frowned. "What does his use of that phrase mean?"

Huang considered. "The most obvious interpretation, given the note, is that he knows she has involved the cops. But how could he have recognized them?" He paused. "Maybe he's not referring to the rules set in the terms of the note. There are other 'rules' he could be talking about. Perhaps a divorce agreement, or some promise to an ex-boyfriend."

"Is that the best case scenario, or the worst?" asked Munch.

"I'm not sure," answered Huang. "It's bad either way. With or without the note, he's still going to hurt her, and I think now we know that he's going to do it soon."

Cragen considered this. "What do you propose we do, Doc?"

Huang picked up the phone in response. "Call Elliot and Olivia."

Cragen paused, and then dialed the number to Olivia's cell phone. It rang three times before she answered it.

"Benson."

"Olivia, it's Cragen. How're things going in Chicago?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose. We got the jobs, and we met Abby in person."

Cragen nodded. "Sounds good." He paused. "Have you gotten any closer to finding the perp?"

There was a pause. "Well, we've considered ex-boyfriends. There are several doctors here; Abby's bound to have dated at least one of them. 'Jennifer' is planning on asking her later today about her lovers."

"I see," said Cragen. "Anyone pop out at you?"

"Not particularly…" There was a pause, and then the faint sounds of fake coughing in the background. "_Elliot_ suspects Dr. Carter, but he doesn't seem all that plausible."

"Why not?"

Olivia sighed. "He just doesn't fit the violent profile. There's also no evidence he was recently in New York."

Cragen considered this. "_Were_ any of the doctors at the ER recently in New York?"

"Um," said Olivia and Cragen could tell she was going through notes again. "Only one. Dr. Luka Kovac. He just returned day before yesterday.

"Kovac…" said Cragen. "Sounds East-European. Abby didn't mention the guy having an accent."

"He's Croatian," said Olivia slowly. "Wait, what guy?"

Cragen paused, confused, and then realized he hadn't told Olivia or Elliot about Abby's threatening phone call. He cleared his throat. "Abby received a threat this morning." He relayed the details of the phone call.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and Cragen could tell Olivia was delivering the news to her partner. Then, "What do you want us to do?"

"You've got to find out who it is. Talk to Abby about her past love life, and find some answers. This has to be someone she knows, whether she realizes it, or not."

Cragen waited for her response, and then heard Elliot come on the line. "Captain?" he said. "What do you want us to do about the note about 'defying a kiss'?"

The captain was silent, as he pondered the options. "Don't tell her unless you have to," he said finally. "Don't tell her about it. She's got enough on her plate already."

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"Hey, Abby!"

Abby turned around and saw that it had been Jennifer Hooper who had called her name. She doubled back. "Morning, Jennifer," she said pleasantly.

"So," said Jennifer in her breathy voice. "Michael and I were talking about yesterday. I hope you and John had fun?"

"Um, yeah we did," said Abby truthfully. "Thanks again for letting us join you."

"Oh, honey, it was no problem," said Jennifer brightly. "In fact, it was so much fun, we were hoping you'd like to do it again tonight!"

_Tonight?_ Abby furrowed her brow, but quickly recovered. "Um, sure, I guess. We'd love to." _It's the least I can do after her help yesterday,_ she thought. "Do you want me to ask Carter?"

"No, that's okay, I'll do it," said Jennifer happily. "You go on to your patient now. We'll see you at the same place, same time, all right?"

"Sure." Abby nodded and walked off as Carter entered the ER from the ambulance bay.

"Good morning, John," said Jennifer pleasantly as she saw him enter.

Carter nodded towards her and walked up to the desk. "Hey, Jennifer, you seen Abby?"

Jennifer nodded. "Uh huh, she just left." She pointed down the direction Abby had just walked off to. "No, wait a minute," she said as Carter made to start in that direction. He turned back. "We were wondering if you'd like to join us – that is to say, me, Michael, and Abby – again for dinner tonight."

Carter was caught slightly off guard. "What? Oh yeah, sure," he said distractedly.

"Great," said Jennifer as she flashed him a big smile. "Same time, same place, okay?"

"Sure," said Carter as he walked off towards Abby's direction.

Jennifer's eyes narrowed and followed him down the hall. _No way is it him._

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Carter entered the restaurant wet, and not in the best of moods. The downpour outside was showing no signs of lightening up and traffic had been a nightmare. He spotted Jennifer and Michael sitting the same table waiting for him. He checked his watch. He was fifteen minutes late. As he approached the table, he frowned.

"Abby's still not here?"

Jennifer checked her watch. "No, I guess she's not. What kept you?"

"Traffic," answered Carter shortly, as he sat down.

"Oh, well she's probably stuck in traffic, too, then," said Michael matter-of-factly. "Don't worry, man, she'll be here."

Half an hour passed, and there was still no sign of Abby. Jennifer and Michael looked as though they were becoming nervous, but Carter knew it couldn't be nearly as nervous as he felt. His insides clenched horribly. _Where is she?_ Carter wondered worriedly. He bit his lip.

Jennifer appeared to have noticed his nervousness. The last thirty minutes of conversation hadn't quite hidden Carter's growing concern for Abby's whereabouts. "Why don't you try calling her?" she asked.

Carter shook his head. "I tried. Her phone is off."

Jennifer frowned. "I'm sure she'll show up soon." Carter looked at her. She didn't look as confident as she sounded. He distinctly saw her exchange a glance with Michael, who was sitting across from her.

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Olivia gave a worried glance at Elliot, hoping to pass it off as a sympathetic look. He seemed to have gotten the message. His blue eyes were clouded in thought, and she knew they were both thinking the same thing.

_Where the hell is she?_

Olivia was getting worried. Cragen has said Abby received a threat earlier. She and Elliot were supposed to find out who her ex-boyfriends were, and unfortunately, not even Jennifer Hooper could ask such a question of Dr. Carter. She bit her lip in worry.

"Let's give her 'til 8:00, shall we?"

Carter nodded vaguely, but Olivia caught Elliot's eye and she knew he understood 8:00 to mean the time they call Cragen and tell Dr. John Carter here the truth about Jennifer Hooper and Michael Stevens.

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Abby felt the cold rain falling hard upon her face as she stepped out into the ambulance bay of the ER. Pulling her coat up tighter around her shoulders, she started the walk to her car. Her footsteps echoed on the hard concrete, mixed in with the sound of the occasional thunder and pitter-patter of the rain.

As she sped up to get to her dry car quicker, she noticed there seemed to be additional sounds in the rainstorm rhythm. She increased her speed, but heard the additional sounds speed up as well. She whipped around.

There was no one there. Her eyes caught the bottom of the flag poll and traveled up to the top of it, where Old Glory was swaying back and forth with a loud flapping sound. She exhaled the nervous breath she'd been holding and turned back around to continue to her car.

_Step, step, step._ She heard the sound again. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to rid the sound from her head. All the same, she couldn't help thinking, _flags don't walk._ Fear gripped her and she whipped around again. The wet sidewalk behind her was empty. Breathing heavily, she turned back around and sped up toward her parked car. As she rounded a corner, she felt a pair of strong hands grab her.

She tried to scream, but her assailant had a heavy hand clamped over her mouth. She struggled, but he was too strong. She felt herself losing strength and then felt the wet cloth pressed to her face. She caught the scent: chloroform. Abby held her breath, willing herself not to breathe in the intoxicating scent, but her lungs screamed for air. She inhaled deeply, then felt herself fade into unconsciousness.

**A/N:** Right, so there's a bit of a cliffhanger with this one. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon (yes, I know, I say that all the time, but I do mean it)!


	8. Drift Away

**A/N:** I own nothing.

**A/N:** Yes, I know it's been awhile. I'm sorry, I've been busy and sick and getting back into the whole "going back to school" thing after Spring Break. Okay, so I know I left a cliffhanger at the end of last chapter (there's one on this chatper too, don't kill me). The killer/abductor IS revealed in this chapter, so that suspense will be over. I'm actually surprised at some of the guesses...no one got it right, though, ER watchers, if you think back some seasons, I'd have thought you might get it. Anyways, I want to thank my wonderful reviewers onetreefan, jcn2416, MusicaGrant, Caia, KaydenceRei, SVU101, LLF, neela149, Kaity, Alicat Sanders, CarbyLivesOn, LadyPiper1, and aBbY oLiViA eR sVu. You guys rock! Keep it up!

Tension settled over the table when the clock turned to 8:00. Carter stiffened and shot looks between the door and his watch, as though he could slow down time or make Abby suddenly appear at the door. Olivia and Elliot exchanged nervous glances and then a small nod of comprehension.

"Excuse me," said Olivia breathlessly. She gave a huge fake smile to 'Michael.' "Bathroom." Elliot nodded at her and she rose and walked down the hall. As she passed the door to the ladies' room, she gave it half a glance before continuing down the hall to the back exit. She exited the restaurant, extracting her cell phone from her purse as she went. The rain was pouring harder than ever; Olivia was grateful for the jetted roof over her head.

She pressed the cool plastic to her ear, waiting for him to pick up.

"Cragen." Her captain's voice was laced with tiredness.

"Captain, it's Liv," she said quietly.

The captain's voice immediately became more alert. "What's up, Olivia?"

"We have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" asked Cragen testily.

Olivia sighed. "Abby's missing."

There was a long pause on the end of the line and Olivia could tell he was contemplating the options. "How long?" Cragen asked at last.

"She was supposed to here – at the restaurant – at 7:00, and still hasn't shown."

"And she didn't call?"

"No," said Olivia sadly. "What should we do, Cap'?"

Another pause. "Benson and Stabler are about to arrive in Chicago."

Olivia smiled at the captain's lighthearted remark and ended the call. She stayed outside, looking longingly at the stormy skies, wondering where Abby could be…and who had taken her. She took a last look at the rain, and then walked back into the restaurant. She headed directly to their table.

Elliot caught her eye as he saw her coming back. When she gave him a curt nod, he returned it gently and turned to Carter.

"Dr. Carter, is there a place we could speak privately?"

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John Carter's hand froze on his mug halfway between the table and his mouth. He and his two dinner companions were back at the Carter mansion while the storm still raged outside. A look of utter shock was on his paling face as he stared at the two people across from him. He could hardly believe his ears. "You're _who?_" he managed to choke out.

The woman previously called Jennifer reached into her purse. "Detective Olivia Benson," she answered calmly, displaying her badge. "NYPD."

"N-Y-P-D?" repeated Carter slowly. He shook his head. "What are you doing here?"

The man who called himself Elliot Stabler cleared his throat. "We're part of the Special Victims unit in Manhattan" A faint connection was dawning on Carter now. "We're investigating the rape of Maggie Wyczenski and the homicide of her son, Eric."

Carter closed his eyes and tried to take the information in. _Poor Abby!_ "Why did you come to Chicago? Couldn't Abby have come to you in New York?"

He distinctly saw the two detectives exchange looks before Elliot answered. "We received a credible threat warning Abby against contact with the police."

We came here undercover to see if we could find out who was behind it," continued Olivia softly.

Carter's face contorted. "You guys are horrible!" he exclaimed irrationally. "Abby is missing, probably dead now!" He rose and began pacing like an angry lion. "And what are you going to do about it?" he spat out.

Olivia spoke in a pacifying tone. "We need your help, Dr. Carter." Carter snorted, but the detective continued as thought she hadn't heard him. "Abby is missing, and we're sure she knows her attacked. You may, too." Carter looked up eagerly, and ceased his angry walk. "Do you know of any exboyfriends."

Carter winced. "You're looking at one." He saw Elliot throw his partner a superior look with his eyebrows raised. "I broke up with her last year." _Dumbest thing I ever did._

"_You_ broke up with _her_?" clarified Olivia. Carter nodded, and he saw the female detectives smirk.

Elliot coughed. "Obviously it can't be you who's doing this…Do you know of anyone else she used to date?"

Carter nodded again. "She used to date another doctor – Luka Kovac – before me."

Olivia's face hardened. "Did she end it, or did he?"

Carter frowned. "I'm not sure. I think their relationship sort of fell apart because of things they both did."

Olivia and Elliot nodded. "When was Dr. Kovac in New York?" asked Elliot.

Carter paused suspiciously, wondering how they knew that, and then realized they must have checked for any doctors in the ER who were recently in New York. "He just got back, but he was in Manhattan for a conference…" His voice trailed off as he caught sight of the detectives' faces. Horror cursed through him like poison.

_No,_ he though,_ not Luka. It couldn't be…_

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The pain was so intense that at first Abby couldn't even open her eyes. She screwed up her face against the cry of agony fighting to escape from her parched lips. She took a deep breath to steady her racing heart, and then opened her brown eyes.

The ceiling above her was white. Squinting in the bright sunlight – the storm was clearly over – she turned her head to the right, away from the sun, trying to gain a notion of her surroundings. The walls were dark. Abby felt another shot of pain go though her wrists and she scrunched her eyes together tightly.

The door opened. Abby tried to open here eyes, but the pain was too strong. She could feel that she was lying on her back on what felt like a bed. Bile rose up in her throat as she realized why her wrists were so painful; they were tied to the bedposts. The footsteps drew nearer to her, as she lay helpless on the bed. She felt very vulnerable and exposed.

Her captor stood at the foot of her bed, watching her. "I see you're awake, Abigail," the deep voice sneered. Abby struggled to get a glimpse at the man, but the pain and bright light forced her to keep her eyes shut.

The man gave a soft laugh. "You always were a stubborn bitch," he remarked coldly as he watched her suffer and struggle with the pain. "You're not going anywhere, I'll make sure of that. But just in case you do…" He pulled a dirty blindfold from his pocket. Now that she was awake, he could control her as he pleased. "You'll never know who I am…but won't you always wonder who it was who got their revenge after so long? Who would want to _screw you_ that badly?"

The phrase stuck in Abby's head, but she couldn't place a name to it. "Who are you?" she choked out before his lips were on hers and the blindfold was tied tight around her eyes.

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Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler entered the ER for the first time without their respective roles early the next morning. They walked straight to the admit desk while Carter went off toward his locker. Several doctors were conversing in low tones at the desk.

"No, I haven't seen her," said a blond doctor worriedly. "Not since last night. She's not answering her phone and I've already left several messages on the machine…" She bit her lip as her voice trailed off,

"Don't worry, Dr. Lewis," said another one with a British accent. "Her shift's not until later."

Dr. Lewis continued to frown. "What if she-"

"Hello," said Olivia brightly, interrupting the doctors' solemn conversation. "I'm looking for Dr. Weaver."

The doctors exchanged confused looks. "Why, Jennifer," one of them said. "You're later."

Olivia gave her a grim smile and pulled out her badge. Next to her, Elliot did the same. "I need to speak with Dr. Weaver."

Dr. Kerry Weaver was a middle-aged woman with reddish-brown hair and a brace on her leg. Though she looked formidable, Olivia and Elliot still felt at ease as she ushered them into the lounge.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Jennifer?" she asked briskly. Olivia winced and she and Elliot exchanged glances.

"Well," said Olivia, "first of all-" She pulled out her badge. "This." She handed her badge to Weaver.

"Olivia Benson," said Weaver softly. She looked up in confusion. Her eye fell on Elliot. "And you're not Michael Stevens, are you?"

Elliot shook his head. "Detective Elliot Stabler. My partner, Detective Benson, and I are from the Manhattan Special Victims Unit."

Weaver frowned. "Would you like to speak to Abby?"

Olivia and Elliot exchanged another glance. "Dr. Weaver," said Elliot, "we were sent here undercover for a reason." He pulled the note out of his pocket and handed it to Weaver. She read it quickly, and then handed it back to him, eyes wide.

"Who sent that?" she asked sharply.

"We were hoping you could help us with that," said Olivia quietly. Weaver stared at her. "Could you help us find any of her ex-boyfriends?"

Weaver closed here eyes. 'Did you already talk to Dr. Carter? He was the most recent one."

Olivia nodded. "This morning."

"Then," said Weaver, opening her eyes," I believe the one before that would be Dr. Luka Kovac."

"Could we get his number, please?" asked Elliot.

"I think he's on today," said Weaver, shaking her head. She stood up from her seat and walked to the door. "I'll get him and bring him in here, shall I?" She left the lounge, leaving Elliot and Olivia alone to ponder their thoughts.

The two detectives sat down to wait in the now otherwise empty lounge. They pulled out their files and got ready to greet Dr. Kovac. Finally Olivia broke the silence.

"Do you really think it's him?" she asked quietly.

Elliot shrugged. "At this point, I'm ready to thing practically anything." The door suddenly opened again. The detectives turned around.

A tall man stood in the doorway. He had a broad chest and black hair. He was wearing a white coat over his dress shirt and tie. The detectives presumed he was the doctor they were looking for.

"Dr. Weaver said you wanted to speak to me," he said. His voice was husky and he ah d a distinct Eastern European accent. His dark eyes looked curious, yet nervous as he spied the two detectives.

"I'm Detective Stabler, and this is my partner Detective Benson," said Elliot coolly. "We're looking for a friend of yours."

"Or maybe she's more than a friend," said Olivia softly, settling herself down on the couch. "Dr. Lockhart?"

Kovac, who had been looking confused, now cleared his expression. "Abby," he murmured.

"Yeah, Abby," said Elliot roughly. "Word on the street is you know her quite well."

"Even dated her," added Olivia casually.

Kovac looked horrified. "Abby's missing?" That seemed to be the only thing that had registered from what Elliot and Olivia had just said. "Where is she?"

Olivia cocked her head. "We were hoping that you could tell us."

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"Captain!" Munch came bursting into Cragen's office waving a paper and wearing a smug smile. "Captain, I've figured it out."

Cragen hurriedly swallowed the licorice he had been chewing on. "What did you find?" he asked excitedly.

Munch handed him the paper. "Everything fits with this guy. I can't believe we hadn't thought of it before."

Cragen took it and glanced at it. His eyes widened, and then his expression became hard. "Are you sure about this, John?"

Munch nodded. Cragen paused, scratched his chin, and then gave a wan smile. "Tell Liv. Get Fin to start looking for a location on this guy. I want his residence A-SAP."

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Dr. Luka Kovac felt as though his world had been turned upside down. Abby – missing. _And they think _I_ did it!_ The female detective – Benson – was still staring at him, waiting for a response. She and her partner seemed to be growing more suspicious with every passing second.

"I don't know what you mean," he said shakily.

Stabler opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, he was interrupted by faint ringing. He frowned, looking at his phone, apparently confused as to why it wasn't ringing.

"Benson," answered his partner into her phone. Stabler stowed his phone back in his pocket rather sheepishly.

Benson was frowning deeply into the phone. She nodded slightly, and then she froze in shock.

"Are you sure?" she asked in surprise. She nodded again. "Right here. Okay, we'll ask him." She caught her partner's eye and mouthed something Luka couldn't catch, but the other detective could; a stony expression crossed Stabler's face and his eyes narrowed. "When did you say hew as in New York?" Benson was saying into the phone. She nodded slightly and frowned again. Her voice suddenly became more confident and authoritative. "Find the location. El and I want to be the first to know." She hung up and replaced her phone in her pocket.

"Dr. Kovac," she said. Luka frowned at her. The tone of her voice had changed completely. It was now urgent instead of suspicious. He narrowed his eyes. "Have you heard of Richard Lockhart?"

Luka felt his stomach clench. "Yes – he's Abby's ex-husband. They divorced shortly after Abby came to the ER."

The detectives exchanged nervous glances. "Did she end it, or did he?"

Luka frowned. "She did."

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Abby turned her face sharply away from her captor. Even with the blindfold on, she could tell who had just kissed her.

"_Richard_," she whispered in horror. She distinctly heard him smirk.

"Yes, Abby," she said silkily. "I knew that phrase would stick. '_Screw you, Richard,'_" he mocked, bringing her back to the day, four years ago, when she found out he hadn't paid her med school tuition. She had come to his golf course, and the two had a shouting match on the green.

He was advancing on her now. "You destroyed our marriage, Abby, with your stupid drinking problem. Your depression and alcoholism were never my problem – nor my fault. You did that to yourself. _You_ destroyed us – _you_, along with your crazy mother and worthless brother. A waste of a wife, I'd say." He pressed his lips to hers again, tasting her fear and disgust. He pulled away from her, apparently satisfied. When he spoke again, his voice held a new desire. "I was wrong, Abigail. It appears you may be good for something after all."

Abby gasped as she felt him unclasp her bra. "You never wanted to have children with me, and I _so_ wanted to. Of course," he continued, his voice growing softer as he spoke, "with genes like _those_," he paused again, allowing his words to sink in and hurt her. "Who'd want them?"

Abby gave a small sob. Richard pressed a hand heavily on her mouth. "Abigail, don't cry. You made my life hell." He paused and grinned manically. "I'm just returning the favor.

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"It's him, isn't it?" asked Kovac worriedly. "It's Richard." He looked at the two detectives. "_Isn't it?_"

"Yes," said Elliot softly. "It is."

Kovac slammed his fist on the table. "Sonuvabitch. I always knew he'd be after her again."

Olivia gave a small nod. "I don't suppose you know where he'd be?"

Kovac shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry. I don't know."

"Would Dr. Carter know?" asked Elliot.

Kovac shrugged. "I doubt it." There was a pause. "Am I free to-" he gestured towards the door.

Olivia nodded. "Of course."

Kovac opened the door just as Carter was coming in. "Morning Carter," he said curtly. Carter gave a short nod; his attention was focused on the two detectives instead.

"Did you find anything?' Carter asked as the door shut. "It isn't Luka, is it?"

"No," said Eliot "It's not. It's Richard."

Carter's face hardened. "Have you located him yet?"

Olivia shook her head. "Our unit in New York is looking for him. They should be calling short-" Her phone went off again. This time Elliot knew it wasn't his. Olivia answered. "Benson." She nodded excitedly and then mimed writing in the air. Elliot understood what she wanted immediately and quickly handed her a pen and pad. She wrote down an address. "Got it! Thanks John." She paused. "Yes, I'll make sure to let you know." She hung up.

"We got an address."

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Abby lay helpless on the bed. Her wrists were still tied to the posts, but they were no longer painful. The day was passing quickly; it was nearing late afternoon. And still no one had come for her.

Richard was finally gone, thank god. He had left awhile ago, saying he didn't know when he'd be back. Abby didn't care. In fact, she preferred him out of the house. That way she didn't have to see him. How she despised him! When she divorced him four years ago, she never thought she'd find herself in this position: back in his clutches, under his control.

_Oh, Carter!_ Abby thought sadly. _Where are you now?_ Tears began to fall again, and this time she didn't try to quiet her sobs. She was quite alone, she knew, as Richard had gone out. She had never found herself in a position so threatening. It was worse than when she had been kidnapped; worse than when Brian beat her up in her apartment. This time it was Richard.

How dare he say those things to her! How dare he insult her mother, her brother, her family, and her genetics? Richard knew he could say those things to hurt her. And he had – emotionally, and then physically. After he finished raping her, he left her lying just as helpless on the bed, as though she were only there to be his whore. The thought of it made her sick.

_I can't keep living like this,_ Abby told herself severely. _I'm never going to let him touch me like that again._ The humiliation was almost more than she could bear. She was supposed to be strong, and here she couldn't even protect herself.

Abby heard a lock click from somewhere behind the closed door. She stopped crying abruptly; Richard was home. Fear and anger gripped her again. _I will not let him hurt me,_ she thought,_ I'd rather die than let him touch me again._ She could hear him coming closer. She thrashed her wrist against the bedpost in frustration…it struck something.

She moved her fingers closer, trying to feel what it was. _A pill bottle! _She grabbed it and held it at an angle so she could read the label. They were sleeping pills and by squinting to read the label, she could tell the bottle had recently been refilled. The footsteps were right outside her door now. She could tell Richard was there in the hallway, listening to her, seeing if he had made her cry before he could come in and rape her again. _I will not let him hurt me!_ Fearful determination gripped Abby, and she started to shake the bottle. Luckily for her, Richard hadn't locked the cap when he last used the bottle; a few of the pills spilled out onto the bed, but most stayed in the now open bottle. In an instant, she understood why her mother had done it. She knew she didn't have much time. Ignoring the pain in her wrist as she tilted the bottle awkwardly toward her mouth, she dumped the bottle's contents into her mouth. The pills were thankfully small and easy to swallow. As Abby felt them fall down her throat, she felt a deep satisfaction._ At least Richard can't hurt me now._

"I love you, Carter," she murmured as she felt herself drift away.

**A/N: **All right, so here's your cliffhanger. Now, I was actually surprised at the reviews for last chapter - for the first time, my ER reviewers had more reviews than my SVU ones! Maybe this time, I'll post the next chapter one day earlier for the show that gives me the most reviews evil smile Maybe I'll do it, maybe I won't (does seem kinda mean...). Anyway, review! Oh, and SVU readers, check out the two links on my profile page. They take you to two quizzes on SVU - a trivia one, and an obsession one. Have fun:)


	9. Fire

**A/N:** Only in my dreams.

**A/N:** For the record, the SVU reviewers did win in number last week, but, sorry guys, no prize this time. This is because I want to give my ER reviewers one more chance as they did dominate last time, but mostly because I said I'd update one story one day earlier than the other, andmy next chance to update is not until Saturday, and that would just not be fair. That being said, I'd like to thank my amzing reviewers SVU101, KaydenceRei (0Kay LOL), onetreefan, Peaky, Caia, Dance-Dance89, Unconscious-Regret, aBbY oLiViA eR sVu, CarbyLivesOn, and SVUCoffeeJunkies. Keep it up!

**A/N: **Warning: Breathe, people, breathe. You'll see what I mean later LOL.

Richard Lockhart turned the doorknob slowly, savoring the moment when he could see Abby again. Excitement raced through his body; the look of fear on her face was one of his favorite moments with her. He turned the knob completely and entered the darkening room.

"Abigail," he whispered. On the bed, she didn't stir. He smirked and went closer. "Oh, you can't play these games, darling. Don't pretend to sleep." He was right beside her on the bed now, and Abby still hadn't moved. He frowned slightly at her still form, and then kissed her lips. "Fine, sleep. We can have more fun later," he whispered. Richard pressed his lips down again, and then his frown deepened. Abby still remained as still as ever; if she was feigning, she was doing a damn good job of it. There was no flutter of fear, no murmur of disgust from her this time. A moment later, he shrugged it off, figuring she really was asleep. As he turned to leave, his arm brushed against something unfamiliar.

It was a small object enclosed in her right hand. Richard unclenched Abby's limp fingers, seizing it from her. His satisfaction turned to anger almost instantly.

"Oh no, you didn't!" he roared. He grabbed her wrist roughly and pressed his fingers to it. Another roar of frustration escaped him as he shifted his fingers to her neck. After a moment, a faint pulse registered beneath his fingertips. He could feel just a slight air coming from her mouth, but it was rapidly fading. "God damn you, Abby!" he shouted, smacking her across the face. He fumbled with the straps around her wrists, trying to figure out how much time had elapsed since she had taken the pills. _It can't have been that long if she's still breathing…_barely, he reminded himself. Having finally freed her, he put one arm roughly around her waist and the other around her shoulders and quickly carried her to the bathroom.

"Damn you, Abby," he muttered as he stuck his fingers down her throat. He managed to grab a couple pills and he pulled them out and then quickly rolled her on her side so she could vomit without choking. She vomited violently, letting the spasms wrack her small form. Richard merely clenched his teeth in anger. The time had come for drastic measures.

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Olivia and Elliot tore out of the hospital with Dr. Carter closely following them at their heels. They weaved their way through the ambulance bay to their parked sedan in the visitors' parking lot. As soon as they reached it, they jumped in, slamming the doors behind them.

"I'm coming with you," said Carter shortly when Olivia shot him a questioning look. Olivia exchanged a glance with her partner, but Elliot merely shrugged and backed the car out from the lot.

"Where is this place?" asked Elliot. Olivia showed him the address as they neared a red light. Elliot nodded. "Show that to Carter. Maybe he can give us directions."

Olivia handed the paper back to the doctor. "Dr. Carter," she said quickly. "Can you give us directions to this place? It's Richard's address." Carter looked eagerly at the address, and then frowned.

"Are you sure this is Richard's address?" he asked uncertainly, still frowning deeply.

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "I thought so." She frowned, thinking back on the conversation. "At least…that's what I thought John said. Why do you ask?"

Carter cleared his throat. "It seems to be, if I remember correctly…Maggie's address. At least – it was when Abby and I were dating."

The two detectives exchanged glances. _Sick bastard,_ thought Olivia. _He's holding her hostage and her mother's house._

"Is that around here, Dr. Carter?" asked Elliot, pulling up to a stop sign.

"Uh, yeah," said Carter. He looked out the window at his surroundings. "Actually, it's in the neighborhood just off to the right."

Elliot quickly made the turn, feeling excitement explode as they drew nearer.

"Just over-" began Carter, but the rest of his words were drowned out by the roar of flames. For as Elliot turned another corner onto the appropriate street, the two detectives and doctor were met by the sight of flames leaping around the house they were just about to enter.

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"No…" gasped Carter. He leaped out of the car as soon as Elliot pulled to a stop and began tearing off toward the house. "No!" He streaked forward, as though his will and speed could extinguish the flames. "Abby! Abby!" he called out desperately. He had reached the driveway and was racing for the door, when a pair of strong arms caught him.

"No!" shrieked Carter, who was now clawing against Elliot to get free. "We have to save her! Please, please! Abby!"

"Come on, John," said Elliot softly, pulling him back. "Come on. Liv's calling the fire department. It's okay." Elliot could clearly see that the situation could never be 'okay.' 'Okay' was the shallow term used by people who were trying to be comforting in a situation where no words could comfort. It was the ultimate euphemism. Having their only lead go up in flames was not okay. Neither was the fact that Abby was probably inside with the flames. It could never be 'okay.'

Sirens could be heard in the neighborhood now; they were rapidly drawing closer. Firemen leaped out to combat the spreading flames.

"Anyone inside?" asked the fire chief to Olivia.

Olivia nodded sadly. "We think so." The fireman looked grimly at the fire and shook his head.

"There's no way anyone inside could have survived."

Olivia hung her head. "I better call Cragen." The fireman nodded vaguely as he rushed forward to join his companions and Olivia walked away to make the call.

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Captain Cragen rushed back to his office when he heard the phone begin to ring. He picked it up quickly, eager for news. "Cragen."

"Cap', it's Liv." His detective's voice was somber and grave.

"Olivia, what's wrong?" asked Cragen, deeply concerned. Something in Olivia's voice told him the situation in Chicago had not improved, to say the least.

"The house went up in flames," said Olivia softly. "We think Abby was inside."

"You _think_?"

There was a pause. "We don't know for sure who was inside. The fire chief said that no one inside could have survived, and there's no evidence to suggest she or Richard left, which means…"

"And Richard?"

Olivia faltered. "His whereabouts are unknown. But Captain…would he really have committed suicide?"

Cragen shook his head. "I-" He paused at the soft knock on his door. Covering the mouthpiece, he called "Come in!" and in entered Dr. Huang. And idea formed in his head. "Hold on, Olivia," he said into the phone. He laid the phone down onto his cluttered desk. "Doc, I'm so glad you're here," he said to Huang. "Do you think you could whip up a profile for us?" Huang nodded. Cragen picked up the phone. "Olivia, Dr. Huang is here. I think he may be able to help us figure out what happened." He passed the phone over to the doctor and sat down comfortably to listen.

"Olivia," said Huang calmly. "What happened?"

There was a pause and then Olivia's voice came over the line quickly. "The address John gave me for Richard is the address of Maggie's old house. Richard must have moved in after she left. El and I were driving there, and when we arrived the house was in flames."

Huang considered this. "Fire. He killed her with fire?"

"Well," said Olivia slowly. "We're not sure she's here. I mean, it would seem so, but…is it possible she's not?" Huang could hear the hope in Olivia's voice, but he knew his answer would not fuel it.

"I don't think so, Olivia. If he were to find a way to kill her, this would appear to be the ultimate."

"What makes you say that?" she asked skeptically.

"He killed her with fire. Think of the symbolism. Fire expresses rage and Richard is someone whom Abby must have outraged with her divorce. He kills her in her mother's house – be it Maggie's now or previously – to cause her the ultimate emotional pain. And pain. Fire would be a painful way to die; through smoke inhalation or burns. Pain was his goal. He wanted to make her suffer. Fire seems to fit appropriately."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and both Cragen and Huang could tell Olivia was considering this. As much as it pained him to admit it, it seemed to Cragen that Abby truly was dead. Finally Olivia spoke again. "And Richard? Would he have killed himself along with Abby?"

Cragen looked at Huang with much interest, eager to hear the doctor's opinion. "I don't think so," he said slowly. "Richard would not have wanted to kill himself."

"Then he's still out there?" Both men could hear the fire in the detective's voice.

"He is."

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"Elliot!" called Olivia as she ran up toward him. Elliot was still next to Dr. Carter, conversing with him in low tones. "Elliot, we have to go." Elliot looked at her. "Richard is still out there," she whispered.

Elliot nodded, and turned to Carter, who was looking at the flames with a sad, lost look in his eyes. "John," he said softly. "It's over, come on, let's go."

"No," said Carter, and both detectives were surprised by the harshness of his voice. "No, I want to stay."

Olivia and Elliot exchanged glances, and then Elliot nodded. "Okay. We'll see you later."

Carter watched numbly as the two detectives turned around and walked back toward their car to their destination god knows where. Everything seemed surreal to him. The firemen had contained the fire; smoke lingered over the rubble of the house. Abby was dead. Dead, dead, dead. No matter how many times he said it, he could never fully accept it. How could this have happened? His life seemed to be falling apart before his eyes.

A fireman came up from behind, tapping his on the shoulder. Carter jumped; it took him by surprise, jolting him back to the devastating scene in front of him. "Sir," said the fireman, addressing Carter. "What happened to Detective Benson?"

_Who…_Carter wondered vaguely. And then he remembered. Olivia Benson. From New York. The one who had just left. "She and her partner had to leave."

"I see," said the fireman. "Do you know if they're coming right back?"

Carter shook his head. The fireman nodded. "Well, could you tell them they might want to investigate something here?" Carter looked at the man eagerly. "There are some skid marks in the driveway like someone left in a hurry."

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The car sped down the streets quickly, ignoring most of the signs and regulations. The driver clearly had a destination. He turned the car abruptly, arriving outside an apartment building. A man stepped out from the car, and then popped the trunk, grabbed something, and began the difficult walk up.

Richard Lockhart grunted as he hauled his heavy package up the stairs. As he reached the second floor, he fumbled in his pocket for a key. Finally extracting it, he put it in the door, where it easily turned and opened, like he knew it would. What kind of person would carry around a dysfunctional key to their apartment?

Having finally entered, he proceeded to lay his package on the bed, still slightly shaken from his quick escape. The police had been closer than ever to finding him. After he recognized Abby's two dinner mates as two police officers from New York (even Richard could utilize Google), he realized he had to act drastically, lest he get caught. Fire has the power to destroy everything in its path. He smiled slightly at the memory. That was sure to distract them for awhile.

He admired her lying on the bed. She still hadn't woken up from her little incident with the sleeping pills, but Richard knew that it couldn't be too long now. And until then…

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Carter left the scene and went for a long walk beside the river trying to sort out his thoughts. Though he had known for over an hour now that Abby was dead, he still couldn't believe it anymore than he could before. Tears escaped from him as the loss rolled over him. Abby had a special place in his heart even when she wasn't his girlfriend. _All those things I wanted to say to her…_

Sadness turned to anger as Carter remembered who had caused Abby so much pain. _Richard!_ Carter clenched his fists in anger at the man who had killed her. The need for vengeance cursed through him; it was almost intoxicating. _But where would he be?_ Carter knew that if Richard had been living in Maggie's old house, it would surely do no good as it now lay in ruins. _Where would he go? _Carter wondered.After several moments, he had to admit defeat; he had no clue. More tears began to fall, and he wiped them roughly away, letting his gaze fall across the river. The wind ruffled his hair, flowing carefree around him. Carter wished the wind could take away his own pain.

_Oh Abby,_ he thought sadly. _I couldn't save you. Forgive me, Abby…_

And in an instant Carter knew.

**A/N:** Okay, expect the next chapter sometime this weekend. I know this one's short compared to my recent ones, but I realized it had to be done. Next chatper is gonna be big. If you need something to pass the time, I wrote a oneshot called Somewhere Over the Rainbow that you can look at. (Thanks to 0Kay, CarbyLivesOn, and Unconscious-Regret who have reviewed. You guys rock!). Until later then. - Color Esperanza (or any respective nickname...you know who you are.)


	10. Fault

**A/N:** Only in my dreams. -starts singing- When you wish upon a star...LOL

**A/N:** I am SO sorry for the long delay. As I'm sure all of you know, the site was down for the longest time (which is why I couldn't update on Saturday), and then I was busy Sunday. And of course, because the site just wouldn't be nice to me, I couldn't update yesterday because I kept getting error reports when trying to load the documents. Technology and I have a love/hate relationship. Because of all the delays, I again will not post one side a day earlier, although ER reviewers absolutely dominated over SVU 9-3 last week. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers Caia, onetreefan, KaydenceRei, eve1980, Cookie-ER, Arion Rose, Peaky, Unconsciou-Regret, aBbY oLiVia eR sVu, CarbyLivesOn, Alicat Sanders, and LadyPiper1. Thanks guys, we reached 100 reviews! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Love you lots!

**A/N:** SVU people...OMG new episode tonight. Anyone seen the ad? I can't wait - looks like Fault was not Olivia's last episode. The episode looks amazing. Does anyone see the irony of me posting this chapter today? If you can, hats off to ya! (Hint: Chapter Title). Okay, I'll shut up now. Enjoy!

The drive back to their apartment was silent for Elliot and Olivia. Most unusually, Olivia was the one driving this time. As she pulled into the parking lot, she glanced sideways at her silent partner. Elliot was staring out the window.

"Everything okay, El?" she asked softly. He didn't answer, but continued to show a great deal of interest in the concrete pillars of the lot. "Elliot?"

This time he turned and looked straight at her. His face was blank and pale. He didn't' speak at first, but nodded vaguely. Olivia offered him a sympathetic smile, to which he asked quietly. "There's no chance she's – Abby's – still live, is-is there?"

Olivia stroked his hand gently. "No, Elliot. Dr. Huang said-"

"I don't give a damn about what Huang said!" shouted Elliot. He wrenched his hand from her grasp. "I refuse to give up simply because Huang made a guess based on some scantly evidence and twisting of clues to make the pieces fit. He doesn't' _know_ Abby, he doesn't _know_ Richard. He has _no idea_ about what really happened. How can we just-"

"Do you, Elliot?" asked Olivia quietly.

Eliot paused; the question had caught him off guard. "Do I what, Liv?"

"Do you know Richard?"

Elliot gave a roar of frustration. Olivia actually pulled back from him. "Does it matter?" he spat out, "Abby is out there somewhere and we're going to find her!"

Olivia just looked at him sadly. "Why do you think she's still alive? What evidence do you have to support that idea?"

"What evidence do we have to the contrary?" yelled Elliot. "We have no _concrete evidence_ to suggest Abby died. Reasonable doubt, Detective! _I_ don't have enough evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to conclude that Abby died. We _don't_ know what happened in that fire and we _don't_ know for sure that Abby is dead." Olivia opened her mouth to protest, but Elliot cut her off. "No, Liv! I refuse to believe it. That poor doctor deserves more effort that this!"

"Elliot," said Olivia quietly, "If this is about Dr. Carter, then-" She was cut off by the ring of a cell phone. The noise didn't seem to have registered with Elliot, who continued to stare at his partner. "It's yours, Elliot."

Elliot jumped slightly and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Stabler…John? John, where are you? You're _where?_ Are you sure? How do you know?" Elliot was speaking rapidly; he frowned. "John? John, I can't hear you! John! John!" Elliot closed his phone, looking worried. "The line went dead," he said to Olivia.

"What did Munch want?" she asked.

'Munch?" Elliot's frown deepened. "That wasn't Munch. That was Carter. We've got to go."

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"My, my, my," said Richard silkily as he saw the young man appear in the doorway. He had short brown hair and was talking on his cell phone. He looked vaguely familiar to Richard. "Dr. Carter," he said slowly. He paused, then said harshly, "Give me the phone."

Carter was talking quickly now. "He's here – at Abby's apartment. He-" The phone was knocked out of Carter's hand as Richard lunged at him. Carter was thrown up against the wall momentarily, and then he forced Richard off of him. The two men wrestled, and then Carter's hand found Richard's throat. "Tell me where she is. NOW!"

Richard gasped for air. "Abby – is – dead," he choked out.

"_I don't believe you!_" said Carter, tightening his grip on Richard's throat. "Tell me where she is – and I might let you live."

But Richard merely smirked. "She's – dead," he said, as he struggled to release Carter's strong hold. "Too bad, Doc. She was – such a pleasure in bed." He gave a weak laugh.

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS, YOU SONUVA-" Carter suddenly stopped mid-word as he heard a moan coming from the next room. "Abby?" he called softly. He released Richard unconsciously and dashed into the next room. Abby was stirring slightly on the bed.

Wham! Carter suddenly felt his head hit the wall behind him. Blinking frantically, trying to clear his mind, he vaguely saw Richard's hands clasp around his throat. Again and again Richard slammed Carter into the wall before his limp form slid to the floor at Richard's feet.

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"How did Carter know he was?" asked Olivia in an awestruck voice. The two detectives approached Abby's door with some trepidation. They exchanged glances as they rounded the corner.

Abby's door was open. Olivia and Elliot rushed to it, but entered cautiously, weapons drawn. Richard's face leered at them as they stepped into the living room, his own gun aimed at the two detectives.

"Ah," he said softly. "You must be…Detective Benson?" He nodded slightly towards Olivia. "Such a lovely picture. And Detective Stabler? How do you do?"

The two detectives stared stonily back at him, unmoved from his words. "Hello Richard," Olivia said coldly. "We've come to take you on a little road trip. There are some people in New York who are _dying_ to see you."

"Where's Abby?" burst out Elliot suddenly. Olivia shot him a furious look. "What have you done with her?"

Richard noticed the differing reactions of the two detectives. He smirked. "Abby's dead." Elliot and Olivia both tightened their grip on their weapons. He eyed them. "How good is your shot, Detective Benson?"

Olivia cocked her head. "How's yours?"

Richard smiled and raised his gun higher. "Would you like to find out?" He aimed at Elliot, who felt himself take aim at Richard's chest in response.

"Drop your weapon," said Olivia harshly.

"Where's Abby?" said Elliot again.

Richard smirked. "So many orders, so many questions. What would you like answered first, Detectives?"

Olivia and Elliot responded at the same time with their respective requests.

"Oh, Detectives," said Richard calmly, "can't we get along and play like nice children? You need to share me and my answers."

"Is Abby alive?" asked Elliot quickly.

"No," said Richard. "Next." He turned to Olivia.

"Drop your weapon," she repeated.

"Don't think so," said Richard, smirking. "You see, my dear Olivia, I don't feel the need. I know you won't shoot me. Your partner doesn't believe me."

"Doesn't believe what?" asked Olivia with a sideways glance at Elliot.

"He doesn't believe me when I say Abby is dead."

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She could hear voices coming from the next room. That was the first thing she could hear – voices. Abby rolled slowly onto her side. The voices were yelling quite loudly and they weren't doing anything to help her already aching head. She squeezed her eyes together, listening to the altercation taking place outside her room.

"He doesn't believe me when I say Abby is dead." That had to have been Richard's voice, Abby though. _But who is he talking to?_

"I don't," another man said softly. He had a deep voice.

"Elliot!" shrieked another voice, this time a woman's. "I can't believe you!"

"But you must, Detective," said Richard silkily. "Would you really shoot me it I was to – say – do this?" There was a pause, and then Richard laughed softly. "That's what I thought. I don't think you believe me either. As much as you're trying to hide it, you don't believe Abby is dead either. So you won't shoot me, I know it. Because if you do, you'll never get the truth."

"Stop playing games," said the female detective harshly.

"She could be dead," taunted Richard, "or she could be alive. You want the truth, don't you, Detective Benson?"

_Detective…Benson?_ The name stirred in Abby's mind. The detective from _New York?_ _But how did she get here?_ Abby didn't care at the moment. She realized her chance to escape. The police were here! She stepped quickly off the bed and went for the door. She screamed at the sight that met her.

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Richard, Olivia, and Elliot all heard the scream. Richard became infuriated and in a roar of frustration, he went into the next room, followed closely by the two detectives. He immediately saw Abby, who was standing with her hands over her mouth transfixed in horror at the sight on the floor. Richard seized her by the hair and forced her down to the ground. He then put his foot down on her chest so she couldn't escape.

Olivia and Elliot froze at the sight. Dr. Carter was lying on the floor, a puddle of blood forming around his head. Abby was also on the floor, trapped by Richard, who was wearing a smug grin on his face. "Let her go," said Elliot harshly.

"Why are you doing this, Richard?" asked Olivia. "Why are you doing this? What did you gain?"

"It's not what I gained by hurting this bitch," growled Richard, as he dug his foot into Abby's chest. The detectives saw her wince in pain. "It's what I lost."

"And what did you lose?" asked Elliot.

"My life," said Richard. "Abby ruined my life. First with her crazy family, then her refusal to have children, and then her drinking and depression. I wasted my life on her. She owes it to me to be here now."

"Richard," said Olivia, trying to pacify him. "Why kill her? You'll just lose your life to prison that way. You're already going down for murder; do you really want a needle?"

Richard was silent, but continued to point his gun at Abby. Abby's breathing had become shallow and constricted. Next to her, Carter remained still, the puddle now beginning to dry and stain the carpet. Olivia and Elliot could see that time was of value and was quickly running out.

"A needle?" repeated Richard scathingly, "Ha! The state would never execute me. You don't execute white men with respectful, high paying jobs; you execute scum. Those who are unworthy to live in this world, those that walk the streets in the night. The blacks, the Hispanics, the poor…you would never kill _me_."

"We can end this now," said Elliot. "Just let her go, and then we can settle this. If you don't, we'll call our captain and tell him how uncooperative you're been. And _he'll_ tell our ADA who'll make sure your day in court is a very miserable experience to compensate for it."

"Is that so?" asked Richard skeptically.

"Now if you just let her go-"

"No!" shouted Richard, cutting Elliot off. "Stop telling me what to do! I'll call the shots here – _literally_." He took aim at Elliot and shot before either detective could react.

"ELLIOT!" shrieked Olivia. Her partner fell to the ground, clutching his arm, his eyes only half open. Olivia quickly took a fatal aim at Richard.

"Don't even think about it!" yelled Richard, as he lowered his gun to Abby's head. At this move, Olivia hesitated. "You shoot me, I'll kill her."

Olivia narrowed her eyes, but didn't lower her weapon. Her mind worked quickly as she weighed her options. Abby's brown eyes were wide and terrified; Olivia couldn't stand to cause her anymore pain. Her partner, Elliot, was on the ground, still holding his injured arm, his weapon lying useless by his side. His breathing had become shallow and labored. Her eyes fell on Carter, who was still unconscious.

Richard smirked at her hesitation. "I see how it is, Detective Benson," he purred. "You really are weak. You can't handle the pressure. Now that your partner is down, do you feel afraid, Detective? There's no one to have your back. Look, you can't even protect him!" Richard pointed down at Elliot.

Olivia felt tears forming in her eyes. Richard's words had struck a chord with her. He was right; she couldn't protect her partner. He was injured and bleeding on the ground at her feet because of her.

Elliot looked at her. "Olivia," he said softly. "Liv, it's okay. I'm okay. Don't let him do this to you."

"You see, Detective?" cried Richard. "Are you strong without him? No. How can you be? You know you need a man to protect you in your life. Take this one here," he said, kicking Abby. "Her man couldn't save her either and look where that got her. You're worried about the same thing. That's what I hate about women. They're weak."

"No, Olivia," said Elliot frantically. "No. You're not weak, I know you're not. Don't listen to him. Please don't."

"You can't save everyone, Olivia," said Richard silkily. "But perhaps you already learned that. So...who are you going to sacrifice this time? Will you let my words drive you to shoot me and kill Abby? Will you be able to stand the guilt? What if he dies?" he asked, pointing to Elliot. "Would you survive with that guilt, then? Do you love him, Detective Benson?"

A shot rang out from somewhere in the room. Richard was momentarily frozen, and then he fell backward, toppling to the floor on the other side of Abby. Elliot's eyes widened, as did Olivia's.

"You didn't have to do that, Abby," she whispered to her, "You didn't have to do that."

**A/N:** The next update should come soon. In the meantime, you can read my newest one-shot Can You Hear Me? which was inspired by a protest taken by a close friend at my school. -Color Esperanza (or any other nickname LOL)

**P.S.** The EOness is coming, onetreefan. It is coming soon.

**WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO END THE SILENCE?**


	11. Like Trees in November

**A/N:** Nope, not mine. Maybe for my brithday...

**A/N:** This isn't exactly the weekend, but it is the next best thing. I was planning on Tuesday, so you all get it one day early. :) Thanks to my wonderful reviewers: SVU101, onetreefan, CarbyLivesOn, KaydenceRei, Caia, tria246815, Arion Rose, Cookie-ER, Lawandordersvu1, aBbY oLiViA eR sVu (twice, lol), Lade Cailynna Tenshi, livstrong2364, Unconscious-Regret, and Kelly of the midnight dawn. So...I've been telling a lot of you this is a chaper of relationship angst. It is. You will see Carby and some heart warming EO (lol, thanks for the term, Kelly). We will see how I do with the romance writing. You'll have to let me know if it's just as good. Enjoy!

**"_They're very nice and kind, but I'll tell you how they strike me. They all seem terribly sad. I can't think why…But they put me in mind of trees in November. I expect I'm being silly, though…"_ – Pipkin, Watership Down**

Fear cursed through her veins as Abby lay on the ground, trapped by Richard's foot pressing hard against her chest. She remained quiet, though she was surrounded by a chaotic scene. If her head hadn't been aching so much, she would've given more thought to the fact that the two detectives were identical to the brain-dead Jennifer and plaster-grin Michael she had just met a few days earlier. But for now, she let this strange notion pass over her as the scene around her began to unfold.

"ELLIOT!" shrieked Detective Benson. Abby opened her eyes in fright to see "Michael" get hit with a bullet in the arm. He fell to the floor in pain.

"Don't even think about it!" yelled Richard. Abby suddenly felt a cold blast on her temple; Richard had lowered the gun to her head. "You shoot me, I'll kill her." Abby felt her pulse quicken; her heart hammered madly in her chest. Would the detective sacrifice her?

But Benson was hesitating. She looked directly at Abby, whose eyes were wide and terrified. Her gun was still pointed at Richard, but she still refrained from shooting.

Richard seemed pleased. The pain in Abby's chest was almost unbearable now. "I see how it is, Detective Benson," he purred. Benson's face remained a mix of thought and guilt. "You really are weak. You can't handle the pressure. Now that your partner is down, do you feel afraid, Detective? There's no one to have your back. Look, you can't even protect him!"

Her fear acted like a drug, numbing that pain. Abby was so drawn into the conversation; she could no longer feel anything but fear. Richard's words seemed to have had a big effect on the detective; Abby could see tears lingering in her eyes.

"Olivia," said her partner softly from the ground. Abby looked at him. She could see from a medical standpoint that he was in no particular immediate danger, but unless he got treated soon, it could get worse. The least that could be said was that it was sure to be very painful for him as well. "Liv, it's okay. I'm okay. Don't let him do this to you," he was saying.

The tension grew so thick in the air, Abby felt like she was drowning in it. She closed her eyes again, trying to take deep steadying breaths. "You see?' said Richard. "Are you strong without him? No. How can you be? You know you need a man to protect you in your life. Take this one here," he continued. Abby suddenly felt a painful dig in the ribs as Richard kicked her. She gasped, opening her eyes. Richard straightened, removing the gun from her head, aiming instead at her chest, though he had eyes only for the detective. "Her man couldn't save her either and look where that got her. You're worried about the same thing. That's what I hate about women. They're weak."

_We are NOT weak!_ Abby thought furiously. The injured detective seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "No, Olivia," he said frantically. Abby's eyes snapped back to him, but this time, she noticed something else. "No," he continued. "You're not weak. I know you're not. Don't listen to him. Please don't."

It was his gun; Abby could see that now. It must have fallen from his hand when he had been shot. A daring idea stole over her. As much as she didn't want to, she could see it would have to be done before Richard could kill them all. As silently as she could, Abby extended her right arm to further out to make contact with the hard metal. No one noticed anything.

"You can't save everyone, Olivia," Richard claimed triumphantly. He was still focused intently on her. "But perhaps you already learned that."

Abby felt the heavy weight in her hand as she struggled to aim it without giving herself away. Once it was aimed, she seemed to be moving in a dreamlike state. She could feel no pain or fear; her mind focused only on the gun.

"So…who are you going to sacrifice this time?" Richard was saying. "Will you let my words drive you to shoot me and kill Abby? Will you be able to stand the guilt? What if he dies? Would you survive with that guilt, then?"

Abby squinted, preparing to make the shot. Her heart raced madly, but she couldn't feel it –

"Do you love him, Detective Benson?"

That was her cue. As if her mind had shouted "Now!" Abby pulled the trigger. The sound echoed loudly in the small room. She closed her eyes. She felt Richard's foot leave her, heard him fall on her other side, and then she heard a voice coming from far away.

"You didn't have to do that, Abby," someone whispered to her. "You didn't have to do that." Abby tried to make some sort of response, but her mind wouldn't allow it. She allowed the words to wash over her as her world faded to black.

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Abby awoke on a bed so comfortable that she didn't want to open her eyes. The mattress felt so soft beneath her aching back; the blanket so warm over her body. She tried to remember where she was, what had happened…

_An aching pain in her chest…a cold metal on her head…a gun shot…_

Abby's eyes snapped open. She recognized the hospital walls instantly as County General. A young woman stood at the foot of her bed with a clipboard. When she saw Abby was awake, she smiled warmly at her.

"I'm so sorry, Abby; did I wake you?"

Abby shook her head. "Not at all, Sam."

Samantha Taggart smiled nervously at her. "I'm glad you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Abby groaned. "Like shit." She paused, trying to cast around for something to say. She wanted to prolong the moment when she would have to think of Richard and the guns again. "What happened?"

Sam hesitated, which Abby noticed. To buy herself time, Sam looked at the chart again, though she knew what it said. "Um," she said, flipping pages. Sam winced. "They did a rape kit while you were unconscious," she said tentatively, waiting for Abby's reaction.

Abby seemed unsurprised. "I figured," she whispered in a hollow voice.

"I'm sorry, Abby," said Sam softly. "Do you know who it was?"

Abby sighed, and didn't answer. Sam seemed to think she had crossed a line because she blushed and abruptly began tasking around the room. After awhile of this while the two women remained in awkward silence, Sam said suddenly, "Abby – I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"How's Carter?" interrupted Abby quickly, wanting to change the subject from her own humiliating rape.

"Oh -" said Sam, caught off guard. "He's…" She paused, wondering how much to tell her. She offered a weak smile. "I'll find out for you."

Abby nodded and Sam retreated sheepishly from the room. "You do that," Abby muttered as the door closed. "You do that."

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Sam entered the door quietly. Drs. Kovac and Weaver were inside Carter's room conversing in low tones about his condition. Both looked up when Sam entered.

"Abby's awake," she said. The doctors smiled. "And she's asking about Carter. What do you want me to tell her?"

Weaver frowned. "Tell her…" she hesitated. "No," she said crossing over to the door. "I'll tell her." She left, leaving Sam and Luka alone.

"How bad is it?" asked Sam tentatively.

Luka shrugged. "He suffered a concussion from the head trauma, but it's concerning that he hasn't regained consciousness yet."

"Is it a coma?" asked Sam, as she gazed at Carter sadly.

Luka shook his head. "I hope not." He sighed and looked at the chart again.

Sam bit her lip. "What about the other one that came in with him? The GSW?"

"There were two," said Luka, looking up at Sam from the chart. "The cop that got shot in the arm will be just fine. He didn't lose a lot of blood. He'll have a sling for awhile, though. Richard," Luka said the word with such distaste. "Richard is dead, thank god. The bastard."

Sam was confused. "Richard?"

Luka nodded. "Abby's ex-husband. The guy who kidnapped her and killed Maggie and Eric. He was shot in the chest."

"Who shot him?"

"Apparently Abby did," said Luka. Suddenly they heard noises coming from the bed. They whirled around. Carter was waking up.

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She walked down the hallway, two coffees in hand, with a knot of worry in her stomach. Right, so it wasn't _all_ worry…actually most of it _wasn't_ worry. Olivia Benson felt guilty. And the thought of seeing her partner now, while he lay weak in some hospital bed was almost more that she could bear.

She entered the room cautiously, and was immediately relieved at the sight that met hers. Elliot was lying on the bed, it was true, but he was propped up by pillows, skimming though the latest edition of _People_ magazine. He tossed it aside as Olivia entered. "Ah, coffee! Thanks, Liv; you're a life-saver."

"No problem," said Olivia quietly, as she handed him a cup.

Elliot caught her guilty tone. "Olivia, please. Don't blame yourself. Really, please don't."

Olivia looked at him. "I'm supposed to have your back, El. Richard was right. He -"

"No," said Elliot, cutting her off. "Richard was not right about anything. I never want to hear you say that, Liv." He took a sip of the hot liquid. "Richard said a lot of things, _none_ of which are true."

Olivia shook her head sadly, feeling tears forming in her eyes again. "But Elliot-"

"No buts, Olivia," he interrupted. "You are not weak. You're one of the strongest women I know – you _are_ the strongest woman I know. I don't want you to feel guilty about this. Ever. What Richard did is not your fault. You can't let yourself think that it is."

Olivia gave him a small smile because his words were making her feel better. How was it that her partner knew so much about her; understood her so well? Was it all the time they'd spent together over the last seven years? Or maybe it was because (dare she even think it?) he saw her as something more than just a partner…?

"He was right about one thing," said Olivia.

"What thing?" asked Elliot testily.

Olivia sighed. "I really would not have been able to stand the guilt if…you died."

Elliot nodded. "Thanks Liv. That really means a lot to me." He offered her a smile, which she returned. Elliot was casting his mind around, thinking for something to say, so she wouldn't dwell too long on what he'd just said. "So…does this mean we're out of here soon?"

"I guess so," said Olivia. She cracked an evil smile. "Too bad. Michael was starting to grow on me."

Elliot laughed. "Can I still call you Jennifer?"

Olivia raised her eyebrows at him. "Do I _look_ like a Jennifer to you?"

"Just kidding," said Elliot. "Hey, got a question for you that I've been meaning to ask."

Olivia nodded. "Okay, shoot."

Elliot paused. "What do you think about Carter and Abby? Any chance Abby would fall for him again? Because I know Carter cares for her more than just a friend." He looked expectedly at Olivia for an answer.

Olivia knew what he meant. "I think they're both looking for something. They seem happy in their lives apart from each other on the outside, but deep down there's a piece that's missing. What they haven't quite discovered yet is that what they're looking for is found in the other and that the other _is_ the missing piece."

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"Hey."

Carter turned his head to look at the source of the sound. "Hey, Abby," he said softly.

Abby came closer to the bed Carter was lying on. Weaver had told her he had a concussion from the head trauma, but overall he was lucky. She winced. Abby couldn't see how anyone in the hospital could be considered 'lucky.'

"How are you doing?" he asked concernedly.

Abby shrugged and sat down on the edge of his bed. "I've been better."

Carter smiled sympathetically. "I'm really sorry, Abby."

Abby looked directly at him, surprised. Why was he apologizing to her? "For what?"

"For…everything," he replied. "You didn't deserve all that. Your life is hard enough as it is."

Abby smiled sadly. "It's over now, at any rate."

Carter considered this. "Abby, if you…ever need to talk about it…I'm here for you."

"I know you are," she said softly. "You don't know how much it means to me to have you here." Abby looked down at her hands. Carter was asking her to open up. She knew she needed to talk about it…sooner or later.

"Do you think things happen for a reason?" she asked suddenly, catching him off guard.

Carter nodded. "I do. Why do you ask?"

Abby hesitated, and continued looking down at her hands. "I shouldn't be here right now."

"What do you mean?"

Abby closed her eyes. "I tried to kill myself." Carter's eyes widened, although Abby didn't see it. "It was right after Richard – raped me," she continued quietly. "He had gone out somewhere and he left me there, alone. I was tied to the bedposts. I was just lying there, helpless, weak. I just couldn't let him touch me again. He had a sleeping pills bottle. I took the whole thing, but Richard must have come in right after or something because…it didn't work." Abby opened her eyes and looked at Carter.

Carter pulled her into a hug. "Oh God, Abby."

Abby let him hold her in the embrace before pulling back and whispering, "Do you know what I thought right before I felt myself going?" Carter shook his head no. "I knew I loved you."

Carter hugged her tighter. "I love you too, Abby." He kissed her gently on the lips, and then whispered in her ear, "Things definitely happen for a reason."

**A/N:** Well, readers, we've come to the end. Next chapter will be the last. However, this is the time to ask if anyone would like a sequel, as it will influence what happens last chapter. If you'd like a sequel, please let me know. The update should come sometime later this week or over the weekend. Thanks for reading!

-Color Esperanza


	12. All Will Be Well

**A/N:** Come on...please?

**A/N:** Yes, this is a lot earlier than I usually update, but be happy, people! Thanks to my wonderful reviewers KaydenceRei, onetreefan, Arion-Rose, Lawandordersvu1, unstoppablecheer16, Soaringmunkymuffins, SVU101, bensenfanatic, Unconscious-Regret, ..., Kelly of the midnight dawn, AbbyCarter, Cookie-ER, and solciss1 who make my day!

**_And all will be well, even after all the promises you've broken to yourself. All will be well, you can ask me how, but only time will tell. -_ All Will be Well, Gabe Dixon Band**

Elliot lay on the uncomfortable hospital bed in the early light of dawn. Across the room, in a chair equally uncomfortable, Olivia sat sleeping. Her mouth was slightly open, her head resting gently on her palm. Elliot though she looked beautiful.

The ring of her cell phone interrupted the tranquility of the morning. Olivia jumped when she heard the noise. She opened her eyes blearily, blinking to clear her head. Elliot quickly pretended to be asleep so Olivia wouldn't think he'd been staring at her.

"Benson," she said quietly. She noticed Elliot was "asleep," so she left the room quickly so as to not wake him.

"Olivia, it's Cragen," came the captain's voice from the other end of the line. Olivia closed the door behind her as she stepped into the busy hallway of County General. "How're things in Chicago?"

"Settling down," she said truthfully, as she walked towards an exit to get better reception. Cragen, of course, was already well informed of the hostage situation and the aftermath, Olivia having described it to him the day before. "It seems everyone will recover just fine."

"And Carter's awake?"

"Yes, he is," said Olivia, nodding.

"Good, good," said Cragen approvingly. He paused. "Well, I guess it's time you and Stabler returned to New York."

Olivia nodded. "I guess so."

She hung up her phone and stowed it into her leather jacket pocket. She sighed, inhaling the chilly Chicago air. The ambulance bay where she was standing was pretty quiet at the moment, given the time. She enjoyed the moment to step back and take in the events of the past days slowly. Things moved so quickly here, she noticed. It seemed like only yesterday they'd received the undercover assignment…and now they were returning to New York.

An ambulance pulled into the bay, sirens blazing. Olivia reentered the building, and went back to Elliot's room to tell him the news. When she got there, she was surprised to find him awake, examining his arm.

"Morning, Elliot," she said as she entered. He smiled at her as she entered. "Cragen called."

Elliot nodded. "What did he want?"

Olivia shrugged. "He said it was time for us to return to the Big Apple."

"I see," said Elliot. He released his injured arm. "Too bad; the vacation was nice."

"Hardly a vacation," said Olivia, chuckling.

Elliot laughed. "Yeah, I say the next assignment goes to Munch and Fin."

"I'm going to go and try to find some halfway decent coffee somewhere," said Olivia. Elliot nodded.

"Thanks," he said gratefully. Olivia started walking towards the door. "Wait…" said Elliot suddenly.

Olivia turned. "What?"

Elliot opened his mouth, but then closed it. He shook his head; he just couldn't put it into words. "Uh, nothing…never mind. I'm – I'm just glad you're okay, that's all," he finished rather lamely.

Olivia smiled at him, but still thought there was something he wasn't telling her. "I'm glad you're okay too, Elliot. I'd be lost without you."

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"So when are you leaving?"

Olivia looked up from the paperwork she was trying to finish. It was the blond doctor – Susan. Olivia smiled at her from the desk. "I'm not quite sure. Soon, I think."

Susan nodded. "Too bad. You make a good secretary." Olivia laughed. "No, really," she continued. "Look what you're doing now. I see some paperwork there, Detective."

"Just taking the chance to catch up on some of my old paperwork before I catch more cases back in New York," justified Olivia.

Susan shook her head. "It's all the same to me." She sat down next to Olivia on the other side of the desk. "So, tell me, Detective Benson; what's with your partner?"

"What do you mean?" asked Olivia slightly defensively.

Susan laughed. "You guys dating or what?"

Olivia burst out laughing. "_Dating?_" she asked incredulously.

"Well…yeah," said Susan. She frowned at the look on Olivia's face. "You mean I lost $20 on this?" she exclaimed.

"You _bet_ on it?"

"It seemed like a good shot at the time," said Susan, shaking her head. "I just can't believe this. Pratt was right for once. Imagine that! Pratt – right!"

"What's so funny?" asked Pratt as he strode towards the two women. 'Did I hear my name mentioned?"

Susan was laughing too hard to answer, so Olivia did. "Yeah. Dr. Lewis was just telling me about the bet you two made about me and my partner."

"Oh really?" said Pratt, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "So who's right?"

"You were," said Olivia, smiling at him.

"I was?" Even Pratt sounded slightly surprised. "Hm, maybe I should make these risky gambles more often…"

Olivia frowned at the two doctors. _They thought Elliot and I were…together?_ The idea still seemed laughable.

"Well, pay up," said Pratt, extending his hand to Susan. She dug around in her pocket and extracted the bills. Pratt strutted away happily with his money.

Susan waited until her was out of ear shot before turning back to Olivia. "So…were you ever dating?"

Olivia shook her head. "Nope, never. What gave you the idea we were?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Susan lightly. "You two just seem so perfect for each other. Maybe it was because Michael was Jennifer's boyfriend…but when I found out you were cops, I was wondered if you two were actually together in reality. He really cares about you, you know. He kept asking us over and over where you were…you _would_ make a nice couple, you know."

Olivia chuckled. "I don't think it'll help you get that money back, though."

"No, probably not," said Susan. "Pratt would never give it up. Still…do me a favor?"

"What?' asked Olivia curiously.

"Think about it. Seriously. I know a match made in heaven when I see one."

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He found her on the roof, where he knew she'd be. Her golden brown hair was fluttering slightly in the breeze, as she stood with her back to him, facing the skyscrapers. He walked up slowly behind her, and wrapped his arms gently around her waist.

He felt her body stiffen at his touch. "Relax, Abby, it's just me," he said softly.

She turned around to face him. "Carter…what are you doing here?" she asked, hastily wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Carter took his thumb and gently wiped the tear on her cheek. "Hey," he said softly, "hey, it's okay, Abby. It's over now; he can't hurt you anymore."

Abby smiled slightly and sighed "I know. It's not that…it's…"

"Your mother?"

Abby nodded. "And Eric. I mean, I barely saw them, right? If Maggie hadn't called the cops before she killed herself…it makes me wonder…it I'd even _know_ right now."

Carter rubbed her shoulder gently. "I know. It hurts to lose someone."

"Why does it hurt so much?" asked Abby, crying again now. "I haven't seen her recently. Or Eric. It's not even like I knew them that well. I just tried to get away, distance myself. It's my fault Maggie died."

Carter shook his head. "No, Abby," he said firmly. "It's not. Don't ever blame yourself for that. She was sick for a long time, she was off her meds. There was nothing you could have done."

"I could have picked up the phone," Abby whispered.

"What?"

Abby drew back from him. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, her eyes full of guilt. "It was 1:00 in the morning. She called – I even saw it was her – and I…ignored it."

Carter hugged her. "How could you have known?" Abby didn't answer, but Carter kept talking anyway. "Gamma called me you know…the day before she died," Carter said softly. Abby looked up at him. "I didn't pick up the phone, either."

"Carter, I'm really sorry about your grandmother," said Abby suddenly.

Carter looked at her, surprised. "Abby, that was almost two years ago. You don't have to-"

"Yes, I do," Abby interrupted him. "I was never really there for you after she died."

Carter furrowed his brow. "That's not your fault. I mean, they found your brother…how could you ignore that?'

Abby shook her head. "He could have waited. I'm so sorry, John. I was selfish. I didn't help you the way you would help me…the way you're helping me now. It makes me wonder…" Carter nodded, urging her to continue. "It makes me wonder if maybe _that's_ why you ended it."

Carter sighed, feeling as though a heavy weight had settled in his stomach. "Abby," he said. She met his gaze. "Breaking up with you has got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever done." He sighed. "I ran away – to Africa. Instead of actually facing the problem, I ran from it."

"It's okay," Abby whispered.

"No," said Carter, his voice breaking. "No, it's not…Because I hurt you, and that's the last thing I ever wanted to do. I love you Abby. It just took me a year away from you to realize that." He kissed her.

"Hey, Abby?" asked Carter.

"Mm," she murmured against his lips.

Carter pulled back from her. "Do you think we could…start over? Well – not exactly start over, but more pick up where we left off?"

Abby grinned at him. "I'd love to. Where might that be?"

Carter smiled knowingly. "I think I know."

The door opened behind them. Carter and Abby turned around. The two detectives were immerging from it, the man with his arm in a sling. They walked towards to two doctors.

"Olivia, Elliot," Carter said, nodding to them. He caught the confused expression on Abby's face. "It turns out Michael and Jennifer fooled us. They're two undercover cops from New York."

Abby nodded. "I thought it might be something like that." She gestured at Olivia. "I talked to you on the phone, didn't I?'

Olivia nodded. "Yes."

"You leaving now?" asked Carter.

"We came to say good-bye," said Elliot. "Cragen wants us back in New York." He extended his uninjured arm towards Carter. "Sorry," he said apologetically. "Your left, if you don't mind." Carter smiled at him.

"Good-bye, Olivia," said Abby, shaking hands with the detective. "Thanks for…everything."

"Look us up in New York sometime if you're ever there," Olivia said. "Detectives Benson and Stabler, Manhattan Special Victims."

Abby nodded, smiling. "I will."

Olivia and Elliot turned to leave, but Carter stopped them.

"Wait!"

They turned around. "You can't leave quite yet. There's…something else," said Carter."

Elliot gave a tiny nod and a knowing smile to Carter.

"Abby," said Carter, turning towards her. "I remember where we left off. _Exactly _where we left off." He took a deep breath. "At the time, breaking up with you seemed to be the easiest thing to do – for both of us. Things seemed clearer to me in Africa, but now – being here with you – I realize that it was all an illusion. This past year I've felt something missing. No matter how complete my life seemed to be, I always seemed one piece away from happiness. I realize now that the missing piece…was you."

Abby smiled softly at him. _Was he thinking…?_ "When Kem left me, I thought it was the worst thing that could've happened. Now that I look back on it, I see it's actually been the best, because if I hadn't I would never have been able to say this." He took her hand and knelt down on one knee. Abby gasped, and put her hands over her mouth. "Abby, I love you. Would you make me the happiest man alive…and marry me?"

A huge grin unfurled on Abby's face. She pulled Carter to his feet and kissed him again.

"I guess that means yes," said Elliot to Olivia.

Olivia nodded, smiling. After all the hardships Abby had endured, she could see her life would quickly come back together. As she watched her slip the ring on her finger, Olivia could see that no matter how much life throws at you, if you pull through it all, in the end, indeed, all will be well.

**END**

**A/N: **Well, folks, we've reached the end. I had so much fun writing this and talking to all of you. Your reviews and comments have meant the world to me. Thanks to 0Kay, Kelly, Cilla, and Alice who kept in touch in between chapter. You guys rock! Look for the sequels _Or Just Look LIke One _(SVU) and _If I Never Knew You _(ER) coming soon. They will make your head spin!

**P.S.:** 0Kay, Kelly, onetreefan, and anyone else looking for the EOness...it is coming. Second chapter of the sequel. I promise. :)


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